Contrary to previous reports, the fire that killed ten people in an apartment building in Valencia was not caused by an awning, but by a household appliance in the kitchen of one of the homes.
This was confirmed by Pilar Bernabé, the government delegate in the Valencian Community, during a press conference.
Inspecting electrical equipment
The fire broke out on the eighth floor of the 14-story building. There, 138 apartments were home to approximately 450 people. Following this incident, experts are calling for mandatory inspections of electrical equipment to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Legal investigation closed
The Court of Instruction Number 9 in Valencia has ordered the provisional closure of the investigation into the fire. This rules out a criminal origin of the fire. Consequently, Bernabé emphasised it was an accident and that the police found no criminal evidence.
New beginning for affected residents
Insurance companies of the individual apartments and the owners’ association will now be able to start recording the damage. They can then begin the process of helping affected residents rebuild their lives.
Tribute to the caretaker
The National Police has nominated Julián, the caretaker of the affected building, for the Human Values Award. With this they want to recognise this folk hero for his efforts during the tragedy. The fire, which broke out around 5.30 pm on February 22, quickly destroyed the two residential towers. 10 people were killed and 15 others injured, including seven firefighters. According to the fire brigade, the quick action of the caretaker prevented the disaster from being even worse. When he noticed that there was a fire, he warned the residents house by house that they had to leave the building as quickly as possible.
Rapid spread surprises
The buildings were erected in 2009 during the real estate boom by a now bankrupt developer. Within an hour of the fire starting they were completely destroyed. The residential tower fire has led to an extensive emergency operation and a legal investigation to determine the causes of the rapid spread of the fire. The first conclusions point towards the use of an extremely flammable material polyurethane in the facade panels.
