Community joins forces to raise funds for British and Irish bars destroyed in last weekend’s fire in Torremolinos
Local residents and other bar owners in the La Carihuela area launched a GoFundMe page this week to raise funds for Champagne Charlies and McGuire's, two of the eight establishments affected by the blaze
Members of the local Spanish and foreign community on the Costa del Sol have joined forces to raise funds for two of the bar owners whose businesses were destroyed in a fire that devastated a total of eight establishments located on Avenida Salvador Allende in Torremolinos last weekend. Seven pubs and a supermarket were destroyed during the blaze, which police say has all the signs of being a settling of scores, or at least that is one of the hypotheses being considered by police investigators.
Local residents and other bar owners in the area launched a GoFundMe page this week to raise funds for Champagne Charlies and McGuire's, two of the foreign-owned bars popular with tourists and expats which were damaged during the fire. The owners of Champagne Charlies are originally from northwest England and the McGuire's founders from Dublin. According to sources, the perpetrators apparently used petrol, which caused the fire to spread rapidly to neighbouring businesses. The heat caused by the combustion of the burning materials also affected half a dozen vehicles parked in front of the bars.
“These spots were more than just bars; they were community hubs where friends and family gathered to make memories. Now, we're coming together to support our neighbours and friends. The local community will help to rebuild and restore these cherished establishments, bringing joy and connection back to our neighbourhood,” a spokesperson for the group told SUR in English.
The fundraising page was launched to help towards the rebuilding of the two bars, as well as to contribute to the losses both owners will suffer over the next few months due to not being able to open. The fund has so far raised almost 5,400 euros, although organisers say that much more money is needed.
“As a community, and after seeing so many people devastated by the news of what's happened, we wanted to put something together to help both couples to get their businesses back up and running,” the spokesperson added.
The National Police are currently investigating whether, as suspected, the fires were arson, and, if so, to find and bring those responsible to justice.
