In the early hours of Friday morning, tragedy struck the small town of Villafranca del Ebro in Spain, just 30 kilometres from Zaragoza. A fire ravaged the Jardines de Villafranca care home, claiming the lives of ten elderly residents.
The fire is suspected to have started due to a cigarette in one of the rooms. It left a community of 900 inhabitants stunned and heartbroken. Smoke-filled halls, shattered families, and heroic actions have defined this dark chapter in the history of the town.
Swift action from mayor and husband
The alarm was raised around 5.00 am, prompting the swift response of Volga Ramírez, the town’s mayor. Alongside her husband, Carlos Castillón, she raced to the scene, only to find the residence engulfed in smoke. “We arrived and everything was darkness, the whole place was full of smoke, you couldn’t breathe,” Ramírez recounted in newspaper El Mundo. Castillón, in an act of bravery, entered the building to aid in the rescue of the residents until emergency services deemed it too dangerous to continue. “I helped bring several people out until the police pulled me back; it was overwhelming inside,” he shared with the local press.
Heroic efforts by night staff during care home fire
Two female staff members, the only caregivers on duty that night, quickly alerted the authorities and made tireless efforts to rescue as many residents as possible. Their heroic actions have earned the admiration of the community. “They were completely alone, and they saved many lives,” one staff member stated, highlighting the emotional weight of the night.
Grieving families await news
Family members rushed to the scene, filled with fear and uncertainty. They gathered at the local council office to receive news and psychological support as they waited to hear if their loved ones had survived. In a heart-wrenching scene, a mother and son, unable to contain their grief, confirmed the death of their beloved father and grandfather. “He was a wonderful man, always loving, even as he started forgetting things,” the grandson said.
Transfer of survivors to safety
The 57 survivors were swiftly transferred to a care facility in Huesca. Among them, Alfonso Arenas, one of the residents, described the terror of those initial moments. “I called out to my roommate 40 times, but he wouldn’t wake up,” he said. Another survivor, Cruz, 62, remembered the chaos.: “The staff banged on doors, yelling for us to get out. The smoke was everywhere, we barely had time to react.”
A community in mourning
The town of Villafranca del Ebro, with its close-knit, familial bonds, has been rocked by the incident. Ignacio Laguna, the town’s parish priest, spoke poignantly of the loss. “The residents were part of our community—they’d come for chocolate pastries, or sometimes join in the church hymns, always a little off-key but always part of the family.” The local residents, gathered in quiet clusters around the town square, spoke of their shared sorrow. “We hope the residence can be restored soon. The elderly there are not just residents, they are our friends, our family,” one neighbour expressed.
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