ARCHIVED - Alarm as flat fire breaks out opposite hospital in Alcoy
Neighbours and passersby alerted firefighters to a blaze in Alicante province
Concerned residents and members of the public raised the alarm as smoke billowed from the second floor of an apartment block in Alcoy, directly opposite Virgen de los Lirios Hospital, on Wednesday evening.
The blaze, in Calle Alcalde Francesc Boronat, was reported at around 7pm, and six firefighters from the La Montaña Fire Station, equipped with a heavy duty pump and ladder were immediately dispatched, managing to quash the flames before further damage was caused.
The room in which the fire originated was completely gutted, but thankfully the rest of the property was only smoke damaged, and there were no reported injuries.
According to the Alicante Consortium of Firefighters, it wasn't deemed necessary to evacuate neighbouring properties, "although neighbors left their homes, alarmed by the smoke, and waited in front of the building until the firefighters had finished".
"The fire caused alarm, especially considering the building is located right in front of the hospital", it was added.
Once the fire had been extinguished, the building was ventilated and neighbours returned to their homes.
IMAGE: Consorcio Bomberos Alicante