Firefighters working to save those unable to exit the burning building. Photo Credit, España Diario, Facebook
A Barcelona firefighter has been hailed a hero, having saved 3 people from a blaze in a five-storey building.
The fire, which broke out this morning in the attic rooms of the building, caused panic and mayhem within minutes, as residents of Passeig Colom, in the l´Hospitalet de Llobregat neighbourhood looked on in horror, petrified that they were about to witness a tragedy.
Firefighters were alerted immediately and nine squads were dispatched, an action that was crucial in preventing a devastating outcome. One of the firemen, named Lolo, played a vital role in saving the lives of three people who were trapped by the flames [Judith Fernández, e-notícies, 24/10/2024] when he led his team in the urgent rescue operation. Two out of the three people were at especially at risk from the fire, when they tried to escape across the roof patio, before realising that there was no safe way to reach the street below. In order to avoid the encroaching flames, both were forced to hang over the edge of the building and clung on desperately until the firefighters were able to reach them. Lolo initiated the rescue, using the ladder from the fire engine to climb up to the fifth floor, and the terrified tenants were assisted by the highly skilled fire squad, who used ropes to carefully manoeuvre them to safety. Timing was critical to the success of the rescue, as had Lolo and his team arrived even just moments later it could have been too late, as the victims were struggling to hold on.
Whilst the firefighters fought the blaze and verified that there were no other people in danger, police from the Mosso´s d´Esquadra cordoned off the area and worked to identify the origin of the fire, which is currently believed to be a short circuit in the battery of an electric mobility scooter.
