On September 19 th a fire raged at an industrial estate in Vilanova i la Geltru, only 48 kilometers south of Barcelona. In turn, authorities placed some 160,000 residents of northeastern Catalonia region under lockdown for their safety. The blaze erupted at 2:20 a.m. local time on Saturday at a company specializing in swimming pool cleaning products, creating a significant plume of chlorine smoke that raised health concerns among local residents.
Upon learning of the fire, the regional government issued an immediate directive to people in the affected area, instructing them to stay indoors. The Civil Protection service reinforced this message, advising, “If you are in the zone that is affected do not leave your home or your place of work.”
That Jorge Vinuales Alonso industrial property where the fire started. He described the unique hazards posed by chlorine in the event of a fire. He remarked, “It is very difficult for chlorine to catch fire, but when it does so it is very hard to put it out.” His remarks underscore the challenges that emergency responders encountered as they tried to control the explosive situation.
Thanks to the rapid response from emergency services, we can report that there were no immediate reported injuries due to fire exposure. Residents from as far as five adjacent towns received emergency alerts on their cell phones. The alerts warned that people should remain indoors until emergency responders had a chance to assess the scene completely.
As the day went on, officials rescinded the stay-at-home order that had kept residents trapped, allowing people to return to their regular lives. Yet the first response shows the risks that industrial accidents with dangerous and toxic chemicals, like chlorine can bring.
