A major fire broke out on Wednesday at a chemical distribution warehouse in southern Spain, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and prompting emergency warnings for residents to stay indoors.

The blaze erupted shortly after 1:20 p.m. local time (11:20 GMT) at the La Red industrial park in Alcalá de Guadaíra, located about 16 kilometres southeast of Seville, the capital of the Andalusia region. Authorities said they received hundreds of emergency calls as the smoke became visible across the surrounding area.

The warehouse, operated by local chemical distributor Plainsur, stores a range of highly flammable industrial compounds including ethylene, toluene, and various solvents, according to the company’s website.

A spokesperson for the regional emergency services told Reuters that, according to the company, all workers had been accounted for and there were no reported injuries. However, emergency responders were still working to confirm this independently.

As a precaution, officials in Alcalá de Guadaíra instructed the town’s approximately 77,000 residents to shelter indoors, keeping doors and windows shut, due to concerns about possible toxic substances in the smoke. Nearby facilities in the industrial park were evacuated as firefighting efforts continued.

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire, and an investigation is expected once the site is secured and safe to access.

Melissa Enoch

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