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FIRE

Firefighters battle hundreds of blazes set deliberately in northern Spain

Regional authorities in northern Spain they were battling around 50 fires, some of which were deliberately set.

Published: 18 February 2019 10:12 CET
Firefighters battle hundreds of blazes set deliberately in northern Spain
Photo: Bomberos de Santander

By end of Sunday, 48 fires were still active, a statement from the government of the Cantabria region said. And by morning, after battling the blazes overnight, 32 were still burning. 

 

“During the day we counted 50 fires, and 760 people from different administrations working to put them out,” the statement added.   

Since the first fires broke out on Thursday in the mountainous region, no people have been injured and “most of the fires took place in inaccessible areas and have not put the population or infrastructure in danger,” the 
government added.   

Two people have been arrested, the head of the Cantabria region, Miguel Angel Revilla, said on Spanish television, adding that there have been “no injuries, only five people have been evacuated” from the area.

This February has been unusually dry with the last drops of rain to fall in the region, over a week ago.

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FIRE

Situation ‘unstable’ at Copenhagen’s old stock exchange after fire

Three days after a fire which ravaged Copenhagen's historic former stock exchange broke out, emergency services said Friday that the situation was "unstable" due to equipment issues and a strong breeze.

Published: 19 April 2024 17:44 CEST
Situation 'unstable' at Copenhagen's old stock exchange after fire

In the morning, during work to dismantle the scaffolding surrounding the building, a crane’s cutters came loose for as of yet unknown reasons.

It is currently wedged between the scaffolding — put up for the renovation of the historic building that was ongoing — and what remains of the walls.

“It is affecting our efforts”, Tim Ole Simonsen, leader of the operation at the rescue services, told a press conference.

Coupled with the wind picking up, the incident, which has temporarily halted work on dismantling the scaffolding, has made the situation “unstable”.

“The wind is blowing harder and harder, and there are tarps over the scaffolding that can catch the wind,” Simonsen said.

He added that this increases the risks, in particular of further collapse of the burnt-out facade which started collapsing late Thursday afternoon.

Located close to the Christiansborg parliament and seat of government, the Borsen building was commissioned by King Christian IV and built between 1619 and 1640. It was the stock exchange until the 1970s.

The fire began Tuesday morning under the copper roof of the building, which was undergoing renovations ahead of its 400th anniversary.

The cause of the blaze was unknown and Copenhagen police said Wednesday that a major investigation had been launched.

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