The blaze started around noon on Saturday, March 29, in a truck parked awaiting shipment within the port area, specifically at the Grimaldi terminal. The alert was received at 13:17 h, and thanks to the swift action of emergency services, it was brought under control by 16:00 h in the afternoon.
The flames impacted a total of 20 containers, trailers, and truck boxes. For the extinguishing efforts, 10 units from the Barcelona Fire Department were mobilized, working intensely both from land and sea, with a fireboat participating to spray water directly at the source of the flames.
Municipal sources confirmed that there were no casualties or intoxications. Furthermore, the presence of hazardous materials in the contents of the burned trailers was ruled out. The intensity of the fire significantly decreased shortly before 14:00 h, according to eyewitnesses.
The 112 emergency line received 76 calls related to this incident, as a very visible column of smoke was produced from various points in Barcelona.
The large smoke plume generated by the fire was visible from numerous locations across the city of Barcelona, including the coastline, such as Nova Icària beach, and Montjuïc mountain. This smoke cloud reached the Poble-sec neighborhood, where some residents reported a strong smell of burning plastic.
