Monday afternoon was marked by moments of high tension in the outskirts of Zamora. A fire broke out at the Zaresa waste treatment plant , located in the municipality of Roales del Pan, near the Valcabado road, producing a massive plume of black smoke visible from the city of Zamora. The blaze, which began shortly before 2:00 p.m., triggered the ES-Alert warning system to alert the public of a potential toxic cloud.
The fire started outside the facility, where a large quantity of recyclable material, mainly plastics and wooden pallets, had been stored and burned rapidly. The fast-spreading flames, fanned by strong winds, caused the fire to spread inside the warehouses and threaten the facilities of the neighboring company, Freigel Food Solutions, one of the largest in the province. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but the scale of the incident required a significant emergency response.
Toxic cloud alert and recommendations for the public
The Civil Protection and Emergency Agency of Castile and León activated the ES-Alert system, sending a mass message to the mobile phones of residents of Roales del Pan, Valcabado, Monfarracinos, and Cubillos. The alert recommended avoiding all outdoor activity , staying away from the risk zone, and following the instructions of the authorities at all times. The toxic cloud, generated by the combustion of plastic materials, could drift north, so the public was urged to exercise extreme caution.
The mayor of Roales del Pan, Luis García Montes, explained that the fire had been brought under control and contained, but warned that the materials used in a company of this type are highly flammable and that the fire would not be completely extinguished until all the material had burned. During the first few hours, firefighters worked intensely to prevent the flames from reaching the ammonia storage tanks at the Freigel factory, which would have posed a much greater risk. The swift, coordinated action of the firefighters from the Provincial Council, the Zamora City Council, and the Regional Government of Castile and León successfully averted this danger.
Traffic disruptions and deployment of resources
The fire spread towards the A-11 motorway, forcing the closure of one lane at kilometer 463, heading towards Portugal. The ZA-P-2311 road was also affected, near the Valcabado industrial park, where Civil Guard traffic officers were directing traffic. The firefighting operation involved resources from all levels of government: the Zamora City Council mobilized two light vehicles, two fire engines, a water tanker with a large tank, a ladder truck, six firefighters, a corporal, and a sergeant, in addition to a full shift on standby and off-duty firefighters. The Zamora Provincial Council, through the Provincial Consortium, contributed three fire engines, a water tanker, a ladder truck, eleven firefighters, and a coordinator. The Regional Government of Castile and León, for its part, sent two reinforcement brigades, a fire engine, two environmental agents, and three aircraft.
The president of the Zamora Provincial Council, Javier Faúndez, described the scene: “It started outside where there was a huge amount of accumulated recyclable material, especially plastics, which burn very quickly .” He added that the strong wind caused the fire to spread inside the facility, which consists of two buildings. The first building collapsed, and the other was completely engulfed in flames. Faúndez also emphasized that one of the main objectives was to prevent the flames from reaching approximately a thousand bales of material near the fire and from spreading toward the highway.
The flames reignited during the early morning hours
Just when it seemed the situation was under control, the fire reignited in the early hours of the morning. The cardboard boxes and tires that hadn't been completely removed, combined with the high temperatures and wind, fanned the embers, and the flames returned. Firefighters from the Zamora Provincial Council had to deploy a large team again, with three fire engines, a ladder truck, and a water tanker, in addition to personnel from the Zamora City Council. The plume of smoke rose once more over the area, visible from several kilometers away, and emergency services remained on high alert, monitoring the fire's progress.
During the early hours of the morning, the flames raged out of control, with no firefighters, police, or anyone in charge present, according to witnesses. The lack of firefighting efforts, coupled with multiple outbreaks at the same plant, suggested the fire would likely continue for days if it didn't spread again. Fortunately, emergency crews managed to stabilize the situation, although the firefighting efforts continued for hours. Zaresa, the company that owns the plant, assisted by providing heavy machinery to remove the burning material and facilitate the firefighters' work.
Assessment and consequences of the disaster
The fire, which caused no injuries, completely gutted the interior of one of the warehouses and led to the collapse of the other. The flames, which reached a height of approximately 15 meters, generated a massive plume of smoke visible from across the city of Zamora. The material damage is extensive, and the company Zaresa will have to assess the full extent of the losses. The swift intervention of the emergency services prevented the fire from spreading to the Freigel facilities, which had evacuated its entire workforce as a precautionary measure.
The president of the Provincial Council, Javier Faúndez, acknowledged that he requested assistance from the Zamora City Council because the fire's profile was quite complex. "Initially, it also spread along the highway, on the left-hand side, left lane, towards Benavente, burning some material that was extinguished by the Castile and León Regional Government's operation," he explained. The mayor of Roales, for his part, emphasized that there was a lot of tension when bringing in the machinery because the fire was advancing rapidly, but the coordinated action of all the personnel prevented the incident from escalating.
This incident once again highlights the importance of inter-agency coordination in emergency situations. The activation of the ES-Alert system, which alerted the public immediately, was key to preventing health risks. Authorities recommend that residents of the area follow the instructions of the emergency services and contact 112 in case of any incident. The Roales del Pan recycling plant, which had already suffered a fire previously, will have to reinforce its safety measures to prevent similar situations from happening again.
The fire at the Roales del Pan recycling plant has been a major blow to the recycling industry in the province of Zamora. Zaresa, a waste treatment company, will have to rebuild its facilities and assess the damage. Meanwhile, local residents are relieved to learn that no one was injured and that the fire did not reach the ammonia storage tanks, which would have caused a much greater catastrophe. The firefighters' rapid response and inter-agency collaboration were crucial in controlling a fire that, given its characteristics, could have had far more serious consequences.