fire
Over 300 people joined a Facebook group in the first 24 hours after it was set up
02.10.12 - 13:01 -
A factory fire last weekend has brought positive action online. R.L.
A fire at a disused factory in Alhaurín el Grande last weekend has inspired one inland resident to create a new page on Facebook. ‘Local Fire Watch’ is dedicated to sharing information on fires along the Costa del Sol as they happen and allows residents to warn each other about the location and size of the areas affected.
Following the forest fire that devastated a large area of the countryside between Coín and the coast at the end of August, there have been a number of other fires in the inland areas. On Saturday evening residents between Alhaurín el Grande and Alhaurín de la Torre began to fear the worst as the sky turned orange when fire broke out at a disused curtain factory just after 10 p.m. Smoke could be seen from miles around and although fire fighters attended the scene, the factory building which had been used to store cardboard was gutted by the time the fire was extinguished in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Jill Leonard from Coín says she saw discussions about Saturday’s factory blaze on several different Facebook pages as the fire was happening. “I just thought we need one central page where everyone can post information that is just dedicated to fires. It is so simple.” Within 24 hours of being set up, the online group had over 300 members.
“I think it is a great idea” said one Facebook user who has joined the group. “We can all help each other by highlighting fires as they occur and get up to the minute information on where the fires are. This is a really positive way of using social media to provide practical information.”
Less than a few days after it was launched the Local Fire Watch page was being used by residents to report fires. Jill says “Someone posted information on a fire near Estepona earlier this week and immediately people had information on what was happening. The page is already proving useful.”
