Torremolinos hotel fire: an off-duty firefighter and a cleaner go to the rescue

112 incident

An impromptu rescue on the Costa del Sol: "The smoke was knee-high and people were very anxious," said cleaner Juan José Escalona, one of the first to run towards the fire to help evacuate several disoriented tourists

Almudena Nogués

Malaga

He had just left work on what had started off as an ordinary Wednesday. He felt like unwinding and going for some sardines. It was ... around 10pm when Juan José Escalona was walking along the seafront in Torremolinos and, while deciding where to sit, flames caught his attention from inside the glass frontage of the Hotel Isabel.

All around him, people were dashing about and there was the occasional yelling from employees of nearby premises who, with fire extinguishers in their hands, were preparing to help guests who, by that time, were leaving through the parking garage exit to flee from the fire.

What triggered the fire? Two electric mobility scooters for people with reduced mobility parked in the reception area. Alarmed by the scene, the 29-year-old cleaner didn't think twice and decided to intervene. Together with an off-duty firefighter who was also nearby, he became an impromptu rescuer of several disoriented tourists who could not find their way out through the thick smoke: "It was up to our knees and we couldn't see a thing," he said.

The 112 emergency service reported that, due to the large cloud of smoke created by the fire, all hotel guests had to be evacuated to spend the night elsewhere. Firefighters from Torremolinos, paramedics from the 061 emergency medical service, Local Police and National Police were dispatched to the scene.

Before they arrived, however, Juan José was already there. "We used the flashlight on our mobiles and a foreigner took off his T-shirt so the firefighter (whose identity is still unknown) could use it to shield his face. We heard voices downstairs and he went after them while I waited outside in case I was needed to help him. I worked as a hospital orderly for six years and, in these situations, you can't just stand by and do nothing."

"I worked as a hospital orderly for six years and, in these situations, you can't just stand by and do nothing"

The incident required medical attention for four people. Three were treated for smoke inhalation and one for a sprained ankle. Emergency services (112) are still unsure whether any of them required hospitalisation. The number of people in the hotel at the time of the fire is also unknown.

According to Juan José, it was the off-duty firefighter who rescued two of the victims, two middle-aged foreigners. "They had come from the fourth floor. The fire caught them just in their bathrobes and they were disoriented due to the lack of visibility." After playing his part in all this, the fire brigade arrived and eventually extinguished the flames, putting an end to this incident. Fortunately, it just ended up giving everyone involved a bit of a scare. Still, a holiday tale that the affected guests will not easily forget.

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