Perhaps the fire that occurred during the Tomorrowland festival in Spain last Saturday should not worry us, but rather rejoice: it is good news that, having broken out in a venue occupied by more than 22,000 people who were watching a show, there have been no injuries. If the security protocols had not worked, surely there would be much to regret.
Although the show in the Can Zam park in Barcelona had to be interrupted by the appearance of a huge column of fire on the stage, and the thousands of people had to be quickly evacuated, fortunately everything had the best possible outcome, since there were no victims or wounded.
The shocking images that circulated in the media (many of them uploaded to social networks by the evacuees themselves, who captured videos and took photographs as they left the place) show that the magnitude of the fire was shocking.
What caused the fire?
According to the organizing company of the Unite for Tomorrowland festival itself, it admitted in a press release, there was a “technical error” from which the fire arose.
The main hypothesis that the investigators analyze is that it was an overheated bulb that was located in the frame of the stage decoration that started the fire.
How to react to a fire in a public place
An accident similar to this, in a place where a crowd of people accumulates, can end in tragedy. Not only fire and smoke are dangerous, but also the human avalanches that sometimes form out of desperation.
It is important to observe the evacuation maps every time we enter a show of any kind, and locate the emergency exits, which are usually marked with illuminated signs.
If something were to happen, it is important to get out in an orderly manner, without rushing, as this could cause a traffic jam from which it would be impossible to escape. Staying calm may be the key to saving lives.
In this case, fortunately, no injuries were reported, and that shows the importance of respecting security protocols, and that they exist.