QCOSTARICA – The Bomberos de Costa Rica (Fire Department) identified the cause of the fire that occurred at the end of February in El Coyol, which affected 20,000 square meters in the Empaques Santa Ana company: a forklift.
FrTo combat the blaze, the Bomberos had to use at least six extinguishing units, among other firefighting vehicles and 75 firefighters.
Read more: Fire in packaging warehouse in El Coyol de Alajuela largest in the last decade (photos)
51 people required medical attention during the event.
Héctor Chaves, Director of the Bomberos, detailed the results of the investigation.
According to Chávez, the fire was caused by a forklift that collected garbage in one of the warehouses. The findings revealed that the contact of the forklift shovel with the ground generated heat that, when it came into contact with some papers that it was picking up, started the fire.
“As a source of heat that generated this fire, it was determined that the work carried out by a forklift to collect garbage caused the shovel to be dragged and exert friction on the floor and generate enough heat for the paper it was dragging to catch fire,” said Chavez.
In addition, Chavez explained that the wind favored the spread of the fire with greater intensity, as it mobilized the flames inside the warehouse.
Read more: Fire in packaging warehouse in El Coyol de Alajuela largest in the last decade (photos)
Days ago, Chaves confirmed that the fire that occurred in Empaques Santa Ana is considered the largest of a structural type in the last 29 years. Surpassed only by the fire that occurred in 1993, in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, where three blocks were consumed by flames.
