A fire broke out this Sunday in a building on I Street in the Santa Marta neighborhood, Cárdenas municipality, Matanzas province, according to real-time information provided by reporter Christian Arboláez on Facebook.
Firefighters and employees from the Electric Company immediately responded to the scene. The fire was controlled and extinguished with no injuries reported.
According to the gathered information, the fire originated in the electrical panel located in the staircase passage of the building. Firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading to other areas of the structure.
Residents of the area confirmed what happened on social media. "Behind my house. I called my parents; the firefighters are there right now," wrote a neighbor in the comments of the post.
Another resident noted that the fire “was in the breaker, apparently due to a short circuit”, while a third person recalled having sensed “the smell of burning wires” before the incident.
The reaction on social media was immediate. "What a scare I've had, my God," expressed a local resident, while other neighbors requested clarification on the exact address of the affected building. The location was specified by residents as I Street, heading towards La Herradura.
Although the fire has been controlled, concern remains among the affected residents. “Eight families could be left without the minimal electric service they had while the necessary repairs are carried out. In the midst of this challenging situation, losing even the little electricity they have represents another blow for those living in that building,” warned Arboláez.
This incident occurs in a context of increasing frequency of fires in homes and institutions in Cuba, linked to the deterioration of electrical installations and the severe energy crisis the country is experiencing.
Prolonged blackouts and the sudden restoration of supply cause overloads in already deteriorated systems.
In January of this year, a fire affected the Galiano 201 building in Centro Habana, and in February, two fires were reported in one night in buildings in Old Havana and Centro Habana, both related to electrical failures.
The day this Sunday has not been peaceful for the town of Santa Marta, a settlement of approximately 12,000 inhabitants located along the road that leads to Varadero. In the early morning, thieves stole the solar batteries from the Maternal Home, while five pregnant women were inside.
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