The morning in the Sant Martí district of Barcelona began with alarming sirens: an informal settlement on Bac de Roda street caught fire. The flames quickly engulfed several makeshift structures, sending thick smoke over the neighborhood and drawing the attention of residents and passersby.
Firefighters arrived at the scene promptly, joined by ambulance crews and police. In total, ten fire engines were involved in extinguishing the blaze. Medical teams assisted two people: one man was taken to Vall d’Hebron hospital, while the other received treatment on site and was able to return home.
Firefighters managed to bring the situation under control by around 8:30 a.m. However, by that time, the fire had already destroyed six shacks that were home to local residents. Authorities note that thanks to the swift response of emergency services, more serious consequences and casualties were avoided.
As locals discuss what happened, forensic police specialists have begun a thorough inspection of the scene. Their task is to determine what caused the fire: carelessness, a technical fault, or possibly foul play. In such settlements, where living conditions are far from safe, incidents like this are unfortunately not uncommon, but each case requires a separate investigation.
There are no official statements yet, but it is known that people were inside the barracks at the time of the fire. Some managed to run outside to escape the flames. Neighbors say it all happened very quickly: first there was the smell of smoke, and then the fire broke out. Firefighters acted promptly and prevented the blaze from spreading to nearby buildings.
City authorities have promised assistance to those affected and will launch an inspection of living conditions in similar settlements. The safety and legality of such structures is again at the center of attention for the city administration. Local residents hope this tragedy will draw attention to the problems of informal settlements and lead to meaningful change.
