Shipyard’s night watchman was taken to hospital after suffering heart palpitations. Credit: Diputación de Bomberos de Alicante
A dramatic fire broke out on Thursday, 26 June, at the Port of Denia, engulfing a large catamaran and prompting a major emergency response. The vessel, flying a Polish flag and measuring approximately 21 metres in length and 11 metres in beam, was stationed out of the water in the shipyard area at the far end of the northern breakwater when the blaze began.
Thick plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky and were visible from various parts of the city, causing alarm among residents and visitors.
The emergency services received the alert at 01:23 a.m. From that moment onwards, up to 11 fire crews have been working in the area to try to extinguish the flames, which remained active during the early hours of the morning.
The catamaran’s captain reported that he had locked up the vessel at 5:10 p.m. the previous day and that no one was on board at the time the fire broke out. Therefore, there is no evidence of anyone being affected on the vessel itself. However, the shipyard’s night watchman was taken to hospital after suffering heart palpitations caused by stress from the incident. He later returned to the site once he had recovered.
According to the fire sergeant in charge of the Advanced Command Post (PMA), the operation was complicated due to the nature of the fire and the structure of the catamaran itself. Thanks to the swift and coordinated efforts of the fire service, the flames were prevented from spreading to nearby vessels. As a precaution, several adjacent boats were evacuated. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
Extensive emergency operation
The initial response included ten firefighters and a fleet of specialist vehicles: a heavy urban fire engine (BUP), a light urban fire engine (BUL), a heavy water tender (BNP), a rural fire engine (BRP), and an aerial ladder platform (AEA).
As the day progressed and shifts changed, two command units (UMJ), two heavy water tenders, and two aerial ladder platforms remained on site, with reinforcements brought in from Dénia, Benidorm, and Benissa stations.
In total, the emergency services deployed a sub-officer, a sergeant, two corporals, and eight firefighters, who continued working throughout the day to bring the situation under full control. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Health precautions and public warning
By Thursday afternoon, firefighters were still battling to fully extinguish the fire, which had produced a significant amount of smoke—potentially toxic due to the materials involved. As a result, Denia Town Council issued a public advisory recommending residents in affected areas to keep windows closed, especially as wind direction could shift the smoke into different neighbourhoods.
The Alicante provincial fire service posted the following message on social media:
“Since the early hours of this morning, our stations in Denia, Benissa and Benidorm have been working tirelessly with up to five units to extinguish the fire aboard this large vessel at Dénia Port. Thanks to an efficient intervention, we were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other nearby boats.”
Stay tuned with Euro Weekly News for the latest news about Europe and Costa Blanca.
