The fire that broke out on Wednesday in a house on Major Street in Llucmajor has reopened the debate on prevention. Residents claim they have been alerting authorities to the situation since 2009, while the mayor defends that legal action was taken.
“It was full of junk. We have been reporting it since 2009.” This phrase, spoken by a neighbour of the burned house on Major Street in Llucmajor, sums up the frustration of those living door to door with danger. The fire, which broke out around 3:00 PM on Wednesday, forced the Mallorca Fire Brigade to break down the door to rescue the owner, a woman who, according to sources, suffers from Diogenes syndrome and was treated in good condition by health services.
The residents' alert: years of unanswered complaints
Residents in the area assert that the accumulation of objects inside the house has been a known problem for over fifteen years. “We have gone to the Town Hall many times, but nothing was done,” explains a resident who prefers to remain anonymous. The Guardia Civil is conducting an investigation to clarify the causes of the incident, which are currently unknown.
Major Street remains cordoned off on Thursday morning. The smell of smoke can still be detected in various parts of the municipality, and firefighters continue to work to extinguish the last active hotspots before they can safely assess the state of the property. In the meantime, residents are awaiting updates that will determine when they can return to normalcy.
The Forn de Ca na Seri, in suspense
A few meters from the burned house is the Forn de Ca na Seri. Its owners also do not know when they will be able to access the establishment normally. They explain that firefighters have conducted a preliminary inspection, but it will still be necessary to wait between 24 and 48 hours to know the actual extent of the damage. “They entered to assess the downstairs area. It seems that the structure is fine, but until the fire is completely extinguished and the house cools down, we won’t know exactly how it is,” they report. “They only let us in for a moment to grab a change of clothes; we are going in what we have on.”
The mayor of Llucmajor, Xisca Lascolas, confirmed that on Thursday morning the architect and municipal surveyor have already conducted a preliminary inspection of the affected area and that firefighters continue to work on extinguishing the fire. Additionally, she explained that around 8:30 PM on Wednesday, part of the house adjacent to the burned property, located between it and the Forn de Ca na Seri, collapsed, which necessitates extra precautions before allowing access to nearby buildings.
The Town Hall's response: “it could not be legally prevented”
The mayor also reminded that there is still no report determining the causes of the fire. Regarding the owner of the house, she stated that “there were open cases with Social Services and forensic doctors. All the paperwork has been done; legally, it is not something that could have been avoided,” she asserted. These statements have generated discontent among residents, who believe preventive measures could have been taken before the incident occurred.
As the investigation continues and technicians wait for the property to cool down to assess structural damage, Major Street remains cordoned off, and residents are awaiting a single answer: when they will be able to return to their homes. For now, there is no scheduled date for the reopening of the street or for the return to normalcy in the neighbouring houses.
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