Fire devours one of Malaga's main expat meeting points

Nature can be ironic. Just days after Andalucía activated the Infoca plan for the prevention of summer fires, the first major incident of the peak season happened in the very city centre of Malaga.

A fire broke out in Le Gran Café, a major international-friendly meeting point, shortly before 1am on Monday. What unfolded in the following hours was a devastating event that ravaged the building and led to the evacuation of the Ibis Centro hotel. One could see how the flames spread across the entire structure.

Anyone walking in the area this Monday could sense the scale of the tragedy. A large contingent of firefighters, National Police and Local Police officers remained at the scene throughout the day.

The closed Santo Domingo tunnel caused a traffic jam at the very start of the workday. A cloud of smoke formed in the sky, visible from various points across the city. Ash particles were floating in the air with the lingering smell of burnt materials.

How the fire spread to cause so much destruction is still unclear. What is certain is that it will be rife with speculation. The case raises questions that the authorities will have to address.

The first flames spread and quickly took hold of the acoustic mats used to soundproof the premises. Le Grand Café became so hot that the wood, which predominates in the interior, immediately caught fire. "I feel so sorry for the workers," commented a local resident.

Television crews swarmed the area, cordoned off with police tape. They interviewed the workers who arrived less than 24 hours after the start of the fire. They didn’t want to reveal their names. Some cried, others hugged each other. "This is a disaster," they said.

From one day to the next, the most basic right of job security has disappeared for a group of workers and for the owners of an establishment with a reputation for doing things well.

Videos and photos of the fire are circulating on social media. The digital noise contrasted sharply with the silence at the scene on Monday. Only the horns of cars trapped in a jam on Calle Mármoles interrupted the quiet disbelief.

The Ibis hotel had another profitable summer season ahead. According to estimates, the establishment evacuated close to 100 guests after the fire started. Sources have told SUR that they are currently staying at the nearby Hotel Málaga Centro.

The last photo Le Grand Café uploaded on social media is from 21 May. "Your meeting point in the centre," it reads. It will take months for that meeting point to return.

The outlook is quite bleak for the moment, but the most important update is that the fire didn’t leave anyone physically injured.