On Monday night, a tragedy occurred in the small village of A Graña, located in the parish of San Xiao do Camiño, in the municipality of Palas de Rei. A fire broke out in a residential home, claiming the life of a 51-year-old woman. Five other family members, including a minor, were urgently taken to the hospital with signs of smoke inhalation.
The first distress calls reached emergency services around 6:15 a.m. One of the residents reported that the house was engulfed in flames and people were still inside. Firefighters from Chantada, emergency medical personnel, members of the Monterroso Emergency Response Group, and a Civil Guard patrol quickly arrived at the scene.
When rescuers arrived, it became clear that not all the residents had managed to get out. Firefighters began battling the blaze, which had broken out on the ground floor of the building. The fire spread rapidly, destroying a wooden canopy and holiday decorations that had been set up in the house for the winter festivities.
Causes of the tragedy
Preliminary reports suggest the fire may have been caused by a short circuit in electric garlands or other holiday decorations. It was in this part of the house that the blaze flared up most intensely, making evacuation more difficult. Firefighters worked in heavy smoke to reach everyone who was still inside.
In one of the rooms, rescuers found a woman showing no signs of life. Paramedics who arrived at the scene could only confirm her death. The other victims—a 66-year-old man, three women aged 27, 39, and 67, as well as a child—were immediately taken to Lucus Augusti Hospital in Lugo for medical treatment.
Rescue operation
Three ambulances and medical staff from the local emergency center were deployed for the evacuation and assistance of the victims. Doctors diagnosed all five individuals with smoke inhalation, but according to the latest reports, their lives are not in danger.
Firefighters continued to battle the flames for several more hours to fully extinguish all hotspots and prevent the fire from reigniting. Once the operation was complete, experts began inspecting the building to determine the exact cause of the tragedy and assess the damage.
Local residents react
Neighbors and residents of Palas de Rei are shocked by what happened. Many point out that the family affected by the fire was well known in the area. The municipality is already discussing the possibility of providing assistance to the victims and organizing support to help them rebuild their home.
Local authorities are urging residents to be especially careful when using electric decorations and to follow all safety measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future. In the coming days, experts will continue investigating the circumstances of the incident.
In case you didn’t know, Palas de Rei is a small town in the province of Lugo, part of the autonomous community of Galicia. This municipality is known as one of the stops along the Camino de Santiago, attracting thousands of pilgrims each year. In recent years, the town has been actively developing, but incidents like this serve as a reminder of the importance of following basic safety rules at home.
