- A fire caused by Bengal fires broke out in a Madrid restaurant.
- An employee quickly extinguished the flames and the guests had to leave the restaurant.
- The incident is reminiscent of the Crans-Montana fire disaster. The city of Madrid is now planning to ban pyrotechnics indoors.
Ten days after the Crans-Montana fire disaster, an open fire incident occurred in a restaurant in Madrid, Spanish media reported on Wednesday.
In the Fanático restaurant, Bengali fires were distributed to guests on Saturday evening. Plants near the entrance caught fire. An employee was able to quickly extinguish the flames with a fire extinguisher. The operators announced that they would no longer use pyrotechnics. The city of Madrid is working on a regulation to ban them indoors, as reported by “El País”, among others.
Flames spread to decorations
The newspaper describes the exact sequence of events: At the time of the incident, music was playing, dancers were performing on the bar, and guests were holding Bengali fire. Videos from the restaurant show how the flames spread to the decorations. An employee extinguished the fire within seconds. The guests were instructed to leave the restaurant. The operation has ended, although the restaurant usually stays open late into the night.
The Fanático restaurant is located at Paseo de la Castellana 43. It belongs to the GLH Singular Restaurants catering group, which operates a total of 19 restaurants. The company said that all operations have legally required fire safety certificates. Due to the incident, the use of any pyrotechnics was banned in all of the group’s restaurants.
City of Madrid announces new regulations
The city of Madrid has now announced a new regulation. “The path seems to be leading towards a ban,” said Vice Mayor Inmaculada Sanz. The details are currently being checked. In Madrid, indoor pyrotechnics are only permitted with special permission.
In recent years there have been repeated serious incidents involving open fires in bars and restaurants in Spain. In 2022, three people died while flambéing a dish in a restaurant in Salamanca. In 2023, 13 people died in a disco in Murcia. A so-called cold spark machine started the fire there.
Criticism of such effects is growing in the club and catering industry. Organizers like Nacho Casteleiro, founder of Urban Klubb, have been calling for a rethink for a long time. Operator Minerva Tapial also explained that Bengalos or even candles were no longer allowed in her bars.
Fire in Crans-Montana claims at least 40 lives
The fire in a bar in Crans-Montana claimed at least 40 lives on New Year’s Eve. Here you will find current articles, background information and eyewitness reports on the fire disaster in Valais.
Jonas Bucher is Blattmacher’s deputy co-head of the news desk at 20 Minutes. He has been working in the media industry for 25 years and has always remained loyal to 20 Minutes.
