The Valencia fire
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28 February 2024
On Thursday 22nd February 2024, at approximately 5.30pm local time, a fire broke out on the 8th floor balcony of a 14-storey apartment block in Campanar, Valencia, Spain. It is believed to have started due to an electrical fault in an external balcony awning motor, and quickly spread to the cloth awning.
High winds that evening up to 40mph, spread the flames quickly, igniting what were believed to be ACM PE core external cladding. The building did not have a sprinkler system, and no fire detection alarm system. The fire spread to the adjacent apartment block. 138 apartments were destroyed. 10 people lost their lives that evening, and 15 were injured including firefighters.
Whilst the authorities having jurisdiction investigate, RICS sends condolences to those families affected who have lost loved ones, and those who have been displaced by this tragic event, one of the worst in Spain’s history. We stand ready to assist in ensuring such an event can never happen again, and our experience post the Grenfell Tower fire particularly in relation to unsafe cladding will be made available.
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