A fire at the Gràcia Festival burns down the decorations on Verdi Street.
Firefighters are investigating the cause of the fire, which residents believe was intentional.
BarcelonaThere was a scare this morning at the Gràcia Festival. Around 5:45 a.m., a fire burned through the entrance to the Verdi street set. Sources from Barcelona City Council explain that the fire accidentally started in an electrical panel and destroyed part of the wiring and the set that led to the street. A large Mayan mask welcomed people into the jungle that festival-goers had been preparing for months. The fire consumed this entire section of the set, one of the most photographed during these first days of the Festival.
Despite pointing to a fortuitous cause for the fire, residents believe it was intentional. This is maintained by the president of the Verdi del Medio Festival Committee, Sergi Font, who was the architect of this part of the decoration and argues that "it's impossible for it to burn as it did" considering the materials used.
Early Sunday morning, the street was still cordoned off with the cleaning services working. Residents were also devastated to see months of work disappearing. At the place where the access to the Mayan temple had previously been, a large banner has now been hung with the slogan 'We respect the ornaments. Our identity - our origins.'. In the houses closest to the set, smoke could be seen blackening the walls.
City Hall sources explain that the fire was reported around 5:30 a.m. and was extinguished half an hour later, when it had burned part of the set and some cables.
The memory of 2019
In a statement, the Gràcia Festival Foundation urged "caution" until all the information is confirmed. The organization thanked the emergency services for their "swift" response and called for "awareness" and "respect" for the decorations. "They are a symbol of our identity and our festival," said
. The events quickly brought to mind the 2019 fire that burned 40 meters of the decorations on Llibertat Street. However, at that time, the fire was intentionally started by two unknown individuals.