17 treated after Madrid building fire

A fire in a Madrid residential building on Carretera de Canillas forced the evacuation of residents and left 17 people needing medical attention. The blaze, which started on the second floor of the four-story building, spread rapidly. Residents described being alerted by the smell of smoke and worked to help their neighbors, including elderly individuals, exit the building.

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The smell of smoke alerted us. From the house where the fire started, they were trying to warn us of what was happening, but we could barely hear.

Emergency services treated 17 people for smoke inhalation. Seven individuals, including two young children aged three and five, were taken to La Paz and Ramón y Cajal hospitals with mild conditions. Firefighters arrived to find the fire in an advanced state, with the living room, kitchen, terrace, and entryway of the origin apartment severely damaged. The fire's spread to the building's stairwell and upper floors was facilitated by an open exterior door.

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We started warning all the neighbors, no one stayed inside. I helped other residents leave the building; the average age is high. Many of us left on our own and told the firefighters that there were five people trapped on the fourth and second floors. Luckily, no one is seriously hurt.

Firefighters battled the intense flames, which required them to breach walls and doors. While the fire has been extinguished, several apartments suffered damage, with at least two heavily impacted. Residents like Adrián Martínez, who lived on the third floor, will not be able to return to their homes immediately. Emergency services are providing temporary housing for those displaced, while the National Police have launched an investigation into the fire's cause.

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The firefighters had to break down walls and doors; the fire must have been very virulent.