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Dozens of makeshift homes burn in Murcia fire
The shantytown fire in Murcia city may have been caused intentionally
Yesterday evening, Monday July 3, a huge fire spread through the row of shacks and huts behind the Víctor Villegas auditotrium in Murcia capital city, burning down several homes.
The area, which is located next to the FICA fair ground, is a kind of shantytown with many makeshift homes housing low-income families.
The fire spread quickly due to the many reeds and palm trees in the area, and a massive column of smoke rose up and was visible throughout the whole city.
Firefighters were immediately on the scene, with the help of a helicopter from the Directorate General for Public Safety and Emergencies of the Region of Murcia which collected water from the river over a dozen times and poured it over the flames to douse them.
The fire was extinguished within a couple of hours, and while no one was seriously injured at least one 29-year-old man had to be seen by paramedics at the scene.
Police are now investigating whether the fire may have been caused intentionally in an arson attack after some locals raised the alarm that recently there was another small fire in the same area.
The president of the Vistabella Neighbourhood Association, Nacho Álvarez-Castellanos, stated that it the conditions of the space occupied by the shantytowns is “a disgrace” and he has demanded that local councillors “clean it up”.
“It is not possible to live like this because the fire on this occasion is very close to other homes of poor people who live around the shacks,” he said, “and we do not understand how they can maintain a place like this next to the main auditorium and congress centre of the Region of Murcia. In another part of the city this would not happen.”
A municipal spokesman said, “The City Council was already working to find solutions to improve the situation in this area of La Fica and to meet the demands of the residents. This week a meeting was held with the owners of the site to look for alternatives.”
“In addition, the teams from the Urban Planning and Social Welfare departments are working together to design an action plan that combines social care for the people living in the area and meets the demands of the residents in the surrounding area,” the council said.
Images: 112 Región de Murcia
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