A large fire ended up burning up to three apartments and as many commercial establishments this Monday, after it was declared shortly before 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon at number 19 of the Avenida de Las Playas de Puerto del Carmen, Tías, in front of the Hotel Fariones and, more specifically, in the vicinity of the Clínica Lanzarote.
Quickly, the Fire Extinguishing Service of the Island Council of Lanzarote moved several units to the place, while at the same time the services of the SUC (Canary Emergency Service), the NGOs [Spanish Red Cross in Lanzarote->https://www.lavozdelanzarote.com/article.php3?id_article=491&var_recherche=Cruz+Roja&var_mode=recalcul] and [Emergencies and Rescue Lanzarote (EMERLAN)->https://www.lavozdelanzarote.com/article.php3?id_article=2762&var_recherche=Emerlan&var_mode=recalcul], as well as troops from the Local Police, the Civil Guard and Civil Protection of Tías, were activated.
The fire lasted for almost four hours, without any victims except for a 39-year-old firefighter who had to be transferred in a Red Cross ambulance to the General Hospital after suffering a shock while manipulating an electrical panel during the extinction of the fire.
According to the data provided by the Emergency and Security Coordinating Center (CECOES 1-1-2), the firefighters managed to extinguish the fire after 7:00 p.m., after which they tried to secure the buildings and the area to avoid the danger of collapse.
Although the Fire Extinguishing Service of the Island Council of Lanzarote has not yet confirmed this, unofficial sources assured late this Monday that the origin of the fire came from an uncontrolled flame emitted by a small camping gas cylinder with which an employee of one of the stores was preparing his lunch.
Members of Emerlan, an association that moved a couple of units to Avenida de Las Playas to provide preventive coverage, reported that as soon as they became aware of the fire, the buildings and stores affected by it were completely evacuated without, despite the extensive damage, there being more victims than the aforementioned firefighter.
