Málaga firefighters have announced the conclusion of their intervention in the Ibis hotel fire, which began on May 25. The building will be demolished after being devastated by flames.
The Real Fire Brigade of Málaga has officially ended its intervention in the Ibis hotel fire, a blaze that started on May 25 in the Le Grand Café premises located on the ground floor of the establishment, and which ultimately consumed the entire building. For 46 days, crews have worked continuously to control flare-ups of the flames, which at times appeared to be extinguished but would reignite.
On Friday, around 21:00, the Security area of the Málaga City Council announced on social media X that the tasks had concluded. "The Real Fire Brigade declares the end of the permanent intervention that has been maintained preventively in the building on Pasillo de Guimbarda, which caught fire in the early hours of May 25," read the municipal statement.
A rapidly spreading fire
The fire originated around 1:20 AM on May 25, according to surveillance cameras analyzed by the City Council. Fourteen minutes later, at 1:34, the first firefighting units arrived, but the flames had already spread from the nightlife venue to the hotel. The establishment activated its self-protection plan at 1:26, allowing for the evacuation of customers and staff just two minutes after an explosion in the commercial premises.
Fortunately, the swift action of the staff prevented injuries. The first firefighting units accessed the building to check for any remaining individuals inside, locating and evacuating a single guest. Local Police and National Police also participated in the operation.
Imminent demolition of the hotel
After the devastating fire, the Ibis hotel, located next to the Guadalmedina River and in the heart of Málaga, will be demolished. This week, preparations to bring down the building have intensified: beds and other furniture charred by the disaster have been removed. Local residents, who have endured smoke and noise for over a month and a half, now see light at the end of the tunnel. "It’s a relief that this is finally coming to an end. We have lived in fear of the fire reigniting," comments a resident of Pasillo de Guimbarda.
The Málaga City Council has already announced that the demolition will take place in the coming weeks, although no specific date has been provided. The demolition work is expected to last several days, with heightened security measures to minimize disruption to residents and traffic in one of the busiest areas of the city.
The fire at the Ibis hotel has been one of the longest and most complex that the Málaga fire brigade has faced in recent years. The multi-storey structure of the building and the difficulty in accessing hidden areas where the fire remained latent prolonged the intervention much longer than usual. Now, with the end of the permanent surveillance, the city is returning to normal in the heart of the historic centre.
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