The incident started around 6 p.m. in a first-floor classroom, allegedly in a cabinet used for charging digital tablets. The situation was worsened because the building lacks smoke detectors or an automatic alarm system, delaying detection and increasing risk, according to the AFA.
Smoke affected the first and second floors, disrupting classes on Tuesday. The association criticizes that the specialized cleaning team sent by the l'Arboç City Council was insufficient, leaving the first floor “severely affected” even by Wednesday.
This space will host up to 80 children per shift, despite the maximum capacity being 54 places.
Following the fire, the affected classroom has been temporarily relocated to the library, leading to overcrowding in the dining hall. This situation of overcapacity had been reported more than a year ago to the City Council and the Baix Penedès Regional Council without any effective solution being adopted.
The AFA points out that the fire is the latest episode in a structural problem that includes a lack of regulatory railings (causing children's falls), electrical deficiencies, absence of a staff room, and, particularly serious, the presence of uralite (asbestos) plaques that remain part of the 50-year-old building.
