A fire in the early hours destroyed more than 80 makeshift homes in the La Sevillana shantytown in Lucena del Puerto, Huelva, leaving one man dead and dozens without shelter. The blaze spread quickly as butane gas canisters exploded, forcing residents to flee with little they could salvage.
The victim, a 36-year-old man from Mali, could not escape. Four others suffered minor burns while trying to save their belongings, but did not need hospital care. The Guardia Civil is investigating the cause of the fire and the circumstances of the man’s death. The emergency call came in at 04:22, information from official reports cited by Democrata. Firefighters and police responded alongside medical teams and the Red Cross.
El Confidencial reported that a major fire swept through the same settlement on September 9, 2026, just six days before this blaze. It destroyed dozens of huts but caused no casualties.
Emergency crews arrived within minutes. Firefighters and local police worked to contain the flames, with medical teams and Cruz Roja staff helping those affected. María José Rico, the government’s subdelegate in Huelva, said the fire started in one shack and spread rapidly as gas containers exploded. The official cause remains under investigation, though authorities point to the exploding canisters as a likely reason the fire moved so quickly through the camp.
The victim’s brother, who lives nearby, identified the remains. Most people displaced by the fire have found shelter with relatives or friends, so the municipality has not opened emergency accommodation. Cruz Roja remains on site, providing food and psychological support, along with other assistance. Democrata also reported that the town had not set up mass shelters because most people were staying with acquaintances.
The fire has renewed criticism from migrant support groups. Pepa Suárez, president of the Asociación Multicultural de Mazagón, called it a tragedy directly tied to the continued presence of shantytowns in Huelva’s agricultural areas. She urged officials to guarantee decent housing for seasonal workers, saying many migrants face unacceptably harsh conditions.
Al Jazeera has reported similar fires in other migrant settlements across Andalusia, including a major incident in Ceuta in mid-September 2026. Dozens of shelters were destroyed, but no casualties were reported. The report described these incidents as part of a broader, recurring crisis in migrant workers’ living conditions throughout Spain.
Social activist Juan Labrador said this was the third fire at La Sevillana in just over a week and that the latest blaze destroyed the settlement’s last remaining section. A major fire had hit the site two years ago. He identified the victim by his nickname, Rasta, and said several people were hurt trying to save their possessions. Labrador warned that such fires would continue as long as hundreds of temporary workers live in unsafe housing. He also said the Malian consulate would need to coordinate the body’s repatriation once the legal process is finished.
Officials point to ongoing efforts under the Acuerdo por Doñana to improve migrant workers’ living conditions, including housing investments and support for regularization in towns such as Lucena del Puerto and Moguer, as well as Palos de la Frontera. But for many, little has changed. Repeated fires and a lack of safe accommodation show the problem remains. Local migrant rights groups have again called for urgent reforms to tackle the chronic shortage of decent housing in agricultural areas, as reported by Democrata and El Confidencial.
Similar incidents have happened elsewhere in Spain, including the case in Catalonia, where a family lost their home to arson. When basic housing needs go unmet, vulnerable communities face greater risks.
The Guardia Civil investigation continues. The death of a migrant worker in a preventable fire highlights the ongoing failure to address unsafe living conditions in Spain’s agricultural regions. As long as these settlements remain, the risk of further loss and tragedy will persist.
