Around 80 luxury boats destroyed in massive Marbella fire
A huge fire has ripped through a storage facility in the Spanish city of Marbella overnight, with unconfirmed local reports saying up to 80 boats could have been lost.
It’s understood around 100 vessels between 20-40 feet were in the storage facility at the La Bajadilla fishing port when the blaze broke out around 7pm local time on Wednesday (11 January 2023).
Reports say that large crowds gathered as the entrance to the port was cordoned off, with up to 30 firefighters called to battle the flames in strong winds.
A spokesman for Marbella Town Hall confirmed to the press: “Around 30 firefighters are working on extinguishing a fire at a marine warehouse in the La Bajadilla port.”
It’s understood the facility, which belongs to Marina Marbella, is used for boat storage and repairs.
Un amplio dispositivo se ha desplazado hasta el Puerto Pesquero para sofocar el incendio en una de las naves. El fuerte viento está dificultando las tareas de control. #Marbella pic.twitter.com/iT5K64H6wP
— RTV Marbella (@RTVMarbella) January 11, 2023
Footage circulating on social media shows smoke and flames rising from a structure above the marina. It’s likely that many of the vessels will belong to British boat owners, with many reportedly sending messages of concern on private WhatsApp groups overnight.
In a Tweet, Marbella mayor Ángeles Muñoz said: “I’m following the development of the situation after a fire broke out at the Marina Marbella warehouse in the fishing port. No other building in the area has been affected.”
Siguiendo la evolución del incendio declarado en la nave de Marina #Marbella en el Puerto Pesquero de La Bajadilla.
— Ángeles Muñoz (@AngelesMunoz_) January 11, 2023
Actualmente se encuentra perimetrado en la nave, no afectando a ninguna otra estructura de la zona.
Marina Marbella, which was founded by two Swedish sailors, also operates in countries including the UK and Morocco. The firm offers a range of yacht maintenance services, including dry docking, cleaning and winterising.
The cause of the fire, which had been brought under control by around 9pm local time, is unconfirmed, although local reports have quoted firefighters who believe it began in an unattended warehouse workshop. Investigations are ongoing.
