Swimming pools go up in smoke

A fire destroyed five prefabricated swimming pools on the Son Castello industrial estate and sent up billows of dense black smoke which could be seen all over Palma. The fire broke out shortly after 4pm and the alarm was raised by a passing driver. The premises of the Multiforma company were closed to the public and during the morning, the owners had been cleaning the premises, a fenced off area, where the swimming pools are on show. Bonfires had been lit to burn paper and wood but the strong winds revived the embers and the fire spread rapidly. The swimming pools, which were due to be delivered to customers next week, were made of fibre glass which produced dense smoke. Losses run into “millions of pesetas,” a spokesman for the company said yesterday.