Air conditioning unit suspected of causing Ocean Spa Plaza fire

A fire in a 14th‑floor apartment of Ocean Spa Plaza early Thursday morning triggered an emergency response from the Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service but caused only limited damage and no injuries thanks to rapid evacuation and built‑in safety measures.

Speaking to the Chronicle, Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) senior officer Edgar Ramirez said that they were first alerted at around 6.30am after “a number of calls” reported a fire in a high‑rise block.

“Once realising what the nature the emergency was, we dispatched the predetermined attendance for an incident of this nature,” he said.

Three appliances and “the whole duty watch turned out to the scene”.

On arrival, firefighters followed established high‑rise procedures before committing crews into the risk area.

“We need to confirm the actual fire floor,” he said.

“As apparent as it may seem from the outside, it’s sometimes a bit more confusing reaching the actual fire floor safely before committing crews into the risk area.”

A sector commander was deployed to form a temporary forward command point inside the building.

“We divide ourselves into different roles, so a sector commander is dispatched up to normally at least two floors below the actual fire floor, which in this case was the 14th floor,” he said.

“From there we use what we call a bridgehead, which is a forward command point, and from there we basically manage the incident.”

From that bridgehead, crews connected hoses to the dry riser system and moved to tackle the blaze in the affected apartment.

By the time firefighters made entry, the occupants of the apartment and several other residents had already evacuated.

The occupants of the flat were in the property when the fire broke out, but there were no reported injuries.

“Thankfully nothing happened, but they were in the apartment,” he said.

“As far as my conversations with them this morning, I had no reason to believe that they were in any danger.”

“We always advise them that if they don’t feel well, to call the GHA or Gibraltar Ambulance Services.”

Initial indications are that the fire started in an air‑conditioning unit on the balcony.

“Everything points to the air conditioning unit located in the balcony,” said Mr Ramirez.

While the exact cause is still being assessed, an electrical issue is suspected.

“Obviously, I cannot 100% determine that it was this or that, but everything points to a potential electrical fault in the air conditioning unit,” he added.

Most of the damage was contained to the balcony with some minor smoke damage in the actual apartment itself, damage to the actual decking in the balcony and the ceiling in the balcony, as well as some of the glass panels on the edge of the balcony.

As with previous incidents, the fire has renewed public concern over high‑rise safety, with some residents taking to social media to express their fears.

Mr Ramirez told the Chronicle that Gibraltar’s building and fire safety regulations are designed precisely to address such risks in tower blocks.

“Our fire safety regulations and building regulations are quite stringent to the point that we ensure that these installations provide that safety net,” he said.

These systems are aimed at “preventing or mitigating any incidents from escalating.”

He stressed the importance of detection systems, to raise the alarm early. Good housekeeping, including keeping fire doors shut. Removing clutter from escape routes, lobby landings and stairwells.

“All these are built in to assist both the evacuation and the safety of the residents, but also firefighters turning out to these types of incidents,” he said.

While the GFRS train for such scenarios, the reality of a live incident is always different.

“You train as much as you can to simulate as realistically as possible the real thing, but nothing is like the real thing when you know definitely that you’re turning out to a property where there are residents,” said Mr Ramirez.

“The adrenaline levels kick in, muscle memory and training kicks in and you just go into a mode that all the training takes over,” he said.

Established protocols and standard operating procedures “provide a blueprint for the incident commanders and firefighters to follow, in terms of instances of this nature.”

Mr Ramirez paid tribute to the firefighters on duty and the agencies and organisations that supported the response.

“Massive thank you, not just to our crews, because at the end of the day it’s what we’re here for, but to the Sunborn who offered the facilities to accommodate residents who have been evacuated, and our partner agencies including the RGP and GAS which assisted in managing the scene and supporting residents on the ground,” he said.