Four men have been arrested in Valencia after a fire broke out in the basement of two buildings on Calle Picayo, in Benicalap, on Thursday afternoon. The National Police detained the workers, aged 35 and 39, along with two others aged 48 and 49, on suspicion of gross negligence. Police sources said two of the men were Algerian; the others were Spanish and Romanian. They were carrying out welding and sealing work on premises recently vacated after several families had occupied them.
The fire broke out at around 16:00. It caused no injuries but sent a thick column of black smoke visible across much of the city. Emergency services evacuated approximately 80 residents, many of whom spent the night in municipal shelters or hotels. The incident reignited tensions in the neighborhood, where up to ten large families had occupied the ground floor over the past five years.
The site was already at the center of a long-running neighborhood dispute and a planned redevelopment. In a report published on 19 February 2026, Levante-EMV journalist Marina Falcó described the Calle Picayo property as a disputed lot slated for change through a PAI, or Integrated Action Programme. The project was reported to include 102 homes and a green area. That planned change placed the site amid a broader transition from occupation to construction before the fire occurred.
The arrests shifted the focus of the investigation. Initially, some neighbors accused the last Roma family living in the basement of starting the fire in retaliation for a court-ordered eviction. The family, but, gave police a mobile-phone video recorded from a nearby building. It showed the workers leaving the premises shortly after the fire began. Authorities detained the workers, not the family, supporting the family's insistence that they were not responsible for the blaze.
Police sources said the workers were using electric welding equipment in an environment containing flammable materials, including stored tires. This raised suspicions that negligence may have caused the fire. The court had set Thursday as the deadline for the families to leave the premises. By the time of the incident, only four or five members of the Roma family remained, information from their account.
Local residents described the situation with the previous occupants as "untenable," citing unsanitary conditions and threats directed at some neighbors. The evicted family is now seeking social assistance and alternative housing. The case has drawn attention to tensions around evictions and the risks of sealing off previously occupied properties. Related incidents involving law enforcement and public safety have also made headlines, including the government's response to internal investigations within the Guardia Civil.
Fires caused by welding or renovation work in buildings with leftover flammable materials are not uncommon in Spain, particularly in urban areas where properties have been occupied or abandoned. Authorities typically urge property owners and contractors to follow safety protocols when working in such environments. The Benicalap incident highlights the challenges emergency services and residents face as city officials manage the aftermath of evictions and work to ensure public safety during property transitions. The investigation's outcome may influence future procedures for securing vacated buildings in Valencia and other Spanish cities.
