Owner of burned-down warehouse: ‘Everything is gone, it’s a total disaster’ 

While firefighters continue to work on the warehouse fire that resulted in a shelter-in-place order for around 150,000 residents in the Pendès region of Catalonia, south of Barcelona, the owner of the warehouse, Jorge Viñuales, is left grappling with the aftermath.

“It's a total disaster,” he told the Catalan News Agency on Saturday, “Everything is gone.”

He stressed that his company, Cleanwater Pool, which stored pool cleaning products in the warehouse, had all the necessary licenses in order before the incident.

“The most important thing now is to find the cause of the fire,” said Viñuales, adding that the situation is “not pleasant” for anyone, as the company “now has to halt all operations during a crucial period” for the pool cleaning season.

Water “causes toxic cloud”, says owner 

He also expressed gratitude to the firefighters, noting that “chlorine is a difficult product to stop when on fire.”  
He explained that using water to extinguish the blaze is “counterproductive,” as it “revives” the flames and “causes the toxic cloud”.

Fire to be extinguished “in coming hours”

The fire is expected to be fully extinguished “in the coming hours,” according to chief firefighter Joan Josep Bellostes, who added that the situation is now “under control” with no “active fire.”

A 500-meter exclusion zone remains in place around the warehouse to facilitate the cleanup work.

Advice for vulnerable populations

Although the shelter-in-place order was lifted earlier on Saturday, Bellostes recommends that vulnerable people, such as the elderly, young children, or people with respiratory problems, remain indoors in Vilanova i la Geltrú and Roquetes.

There are currently no restrictions in Cubelles, Cunit, or Calafell.

Mayors’ reactions

The mayor of Vilanova i la Geltrú, Juan Luis Ruiz, urged residents to act “with caution” and reminded that all outdoor activities in the town remain cancelled. He also encouraged people to follow instructions from the authorities closely.

Rosa Fonoll, the mayor of Cubelles, thanked residents for their “exemplary behavior” during this morning’s shelter-in-place order.

“Almost everyone understood that they had to stay at home and close their businesses,” she said.

Although the situation has eased and residents can “relax”, Fonoll also urged continued caution as the situation may still change.

1,333 emergency calls received

The emergency number 112 received a total of 1,333 calls related to the warehouse fire.

The Catalan Health Emergency Unit (SEM) treated three individuals for exposure to the toxic cloud, none of whom were in critical condition.