PALMA FIRE ALARM

PALMA
SEVEN people needed to be treated for the effects of smoke inhalation and one pet dog died after being overcome by the fumes when a fire broke out in an old block of apartments in the Porta de Sant Antoni neighbourhood - the red light district - of Palma.

The alarm was raised at 6.45am and knowing that people were trapped inside the property, the Local Police Rapid Reaction unit rushed to the scene to assist fire fighters. A thick cloud of black smoke engulfed the top two floors of the building forcing some of the inhabitants up on to the broken roof in an attempt to escape the flames.

On the fourth floor fire fighters found a family of four and two dogs trapped in a 25 square metre flat.
One was a disabled man in his late thirties who fire fighters had to carry down the four floors and through the flames and smoke to safety.
Four African immigrants lived in the flat on the third floor where the fire is alleged to have started. In total, seven people needed to be treated for smoke inhalation and two needed hospital treatment at Son Llatzer.

RECOVERY
Last night they were both said to have been making a good recovery.
Sadly, while brave fire fighters managed to save all of the humans living in the old block, one of the two dogs which lived on the fourth floor was killed by the smoke.

According to sources close to the investigation, the fire was apparently started by a heater in the third floor flat. This winter, a spate of house fires in Majorca have been caused by heaters or heating devices and again, the authorities yesterday urged people to be extra careful and make sure all electrical equipment is operating correctly and safely and, in the event of gas, charcoal or wood burners being used, there is plenty of ventilation.