Andorra’s government urges calm as firefighters continue tackling the La Querola blaze
Justice and Interior Minister Ester Molné reassures residents as crews work to extinguish the fire in Ordino
Extinguishing the fire at La Querola in Ordino will require a lengthy and painstaking operation. Firefighters continue working across several parts of the complex, but the risk of collapse is preventing access to some areas of the structure. Fire service director Juanjo Barrio warned that there are still “a lot of embers and a lot of work to do”.
Justice and Interior Minister Ester Molné visited the scene and confirmed that six of the development’s seven blocks have been affected. Molné sought to reassure residents, explaining that emergency crews’ initial priority had been to prevent the flames from reaching the forest.
The minister said that the threat of the fire spreading into the forest is under control, although the blaze has not yet been extinguished and operations will continue. She also stressed that there have been no casualties, as the complex was not yet occupied.
The four blocks closest to the forest are the worst affected
Barrio explained that the four blocks facing the forest have been affected throughout, while those on the lower part of the site have sustained less damage. The extent of the blaze means that active pockets of fire remain in several parts of the structure.
Firefighter safety is determining how the operation proceeds. Some areas remain inaccessible because of the risk of collapse, making it difficult to reach all the places where embers are still smouldering.
A room-by-room inspection
The size of the development adds to the complexity of the operation. Barrio said the complex comprises 12,000 square metres of parking facilities and 10,000 square metres of building space, requiring crews to inspect rooms and concealed areas meticulously.
Teams are focusing first on extinguishing the remaining pockets of fire. They will then need to turn over debris and assess, alongside engineers, whether parts of the structure need to be shored up so that the operation can be completed safely.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation
The fire service director identified the delay in raising the alarm and the extensive use of wood in the construction as factors that helped the flames spread rapidly.
These factors do not, however, establish how the blaze began. Investigators will need to determine where the fire started and what caused it, once firefighting progress and safety conditions allow further inspections.