An investigation is underway to clarify the death of a firefighter while extinguishing a blaze.
The victim was 53 years old and worked in the Pineda de Mar park.
BarcelonaThe Generalitat Fire Department is shocked by the on-duty death of a firefighter this Sunday afternoon. The fatal accident occurred while extinguishing a fire at a hotel on the seafront in the town of Santa Susanna, in the Maresme region. The firefighter, named Daniel, was 53 years old and was well-known within the force. In fact, his father was also a retired Barcelona firefighter, and both emergency services are affected by the transfer.
People who knew him say he was a very experienced firefighter who worked at the Pineda de Mar fire station. At 7:29 p.m., he and other colleagues were alerted to a fire at a hotel on the seafront in Santa Susanna. When they arrived, the local police had already evacuated the 250 people inside the building. The fire originated in the basement, where there was a kind of spa with a jacuzzi and sauna. A team of three firefighters, including the deceased, entered ground zero (known in firefighting jargon as the hot zone) with respirators to attack the fire.
Investigation
The fire was out, but not extinguished, and there was a lot of smoke. A few minutes later, the firefighters in the basement lost sight of the third firefighter, who stopped holding the hose connecting them to the outside, and heard him calling for help. At that moment, the code red, intended for extremely dangerous situations, was activated, and the search for the firefighter began. Skylights were even broken for ventilation.
The firefighter was eventually located and evacuated outside to receive medical assistance from the Emergency Medical Services (EMS). He was in cardiac arrest and received resuscitation, but ultimately died. The Mossos d'Esquadra investigation is currently underway, but the cause of death is still unclear. Sources accessed by ARA indicate that the firefighter was not burned at any time nor came into contact with the fire. This Monday, the Mossos d'Esquadra returned to the hotel to thoroughly analyze the basement.
Minute of silence
The Generalitat Fire Department has activated the GEM Psychological Support Group and another SEM team to assist the firefighters involved in extinguishing the fire and has relieved them of duty. This Monday morning, the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, visited Pineda Park to pay tribute to the firefighter who died in the line of duty. Both Parlon and the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, mourned the death of the firefighter and offered their condolences to his family and colleagues.
