Over 160,000 residents in northeastern Spain were ordered to stay indoors today (Saturday) after a fire at an industrial warehouse in Vilanova i la Geltrú, south of Barcelona, released a toxic chlorine cloud that drifted across several coastal towns.
The fire, which broke out at dawn in a facility storing swimming pool cleaning chemicals, triggered a major emergency response from regional firefighters and public safety officials.
Authorities initially issued shelter-in-place orders for a wide area stretching from Vilanova i la Geltrú to Calafell near Tarragona, urging residents to close windows and doors and avoid going outside. Roads and train stations in the vicinity were also closed to prevent public exposure to hazardous fumes.
Catalonia’s Interior Minister Núria Barlon later announced that the general lockdown had been lifted, but she cautioned that children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions should remain indoors and avoid strenuous outdoor activity.
“We are closely monitoring the air quality. Depending on the wind direction, we may issue new shelter advisories in specific areas,” the regional fire department stated.
No injuries or casualties have been reported so far. The fire department deployed multiple units to contain the fire and is conducting continuous air quality assessments to track the toxicity levels of the chlorine gas.
The warehouse owner suggested the fire may have been ignited by a lithium battery, adding that although chlorine is not easily flammable, once ignited, such fires are “very difficult to extinguish.”
Mayor Juan Luis Ruiz López of Vilanova i la Geltrú expressed cautious optimism, saying that officials expect the toxic cloud to begin dissipating as the fire is brought under control. “Only then will we fully lift the protective measures in place,” he said.
