Two residents were fatally burned in a devastating fire that swept through a four-storey residential building on Calle Calamón in the Madrid region’s Villaverde district. Authorities disclosed this information to Europa Press via a spokesperson from Emergency Situations Madrid, detailing the tragedy and the subsequent response that followed in the minutes and hours after the blaze began.
The blaze began on the building’s third floor, a location that hosts several homes. Firefighters arrived to find flames rapidly consuming the interior and spreading to adjacent spaces. The structure on Calle Calamón 12 saw intense fire activity on the affected level, where the damage was most severe and the heat most extreme, leaving little chance for immediate intervention by those inside.
Emergency responders located the bodies of two deceased individuals inside the dwelling, along with a pet that had perished in the fire. The discovery underscored the speed at which the flames engulfed the residence and the peril faced by anyone trapped within. Fire crews worked under challenging conditions, focusing on life-safety operations and the suppression effort to halt the spread to other portions of the building.
The fire breached both the main facade and the rear exterior of the structure, sending smoke and heat toward upper floors and complicating access for emergency personnel. As crews advanced, they encountered pockets of heavy smoke that ascended through the stairwells and failed containment zones, forcing careful navigation and coordinated efforts to secure the site and prevent further damage to neighboring properties.
Samur Civil Protection reported that five people were treated at the scene for smoke exposure and related injuries. Among those affected was a married couple who reside on the building’s fourth floor; they sustained light smoke inhalation and were evaluated by medical teams on site, with some individuals subsequently managed for symptoms and released as conditions allowed. The scene response reflected a broad, multiagency approach aimed at safeguarding residents, assisting those in affected flats, and preserving life where possible.
Three additional individuals required attention for minor burns and were treated on site by medical personnel before being discharged. Firefighting teams worked in concert with city agencies to secure the area, manage traffic, and clear access routes so responders could move equipment, deploy hoses, and perform search-and-rescue operations where feasible. The coordination among Belfast and Madrid city teams underscored the importance of rapid, organized action in dense urban settings.
Eight fire units plus additional support from municipal safety authorities converged on the building, with firefighters on the front lines and supervisors directing operations from safer zones as they implemented suppression tactics. The city’s emergency management bodies, including civil protection and police, contributed to the effort by ensuring order, facilitating access to the incident site, and assisting with scene safety measures that protected both responders and nearby residents. Their presence highlights the comprehensive approach taken to manage a high-risk residential fire in a crowded urban area.
Investigators from the National Police arrived at the site to initiate a formal inquiry into the incident, examining potential causes and collecting evidence that could illuminate how the fire started and spread. The investigative process remains ongoing as specialists review security footage, interview witnesses, and assess the building’s structural and fire safety features. The collaboration between police, fire services, and municipal agencies remains essential to determining accountability and preventing future incidents.