A car caught fire tonight at the intersection of Nueva and San Francisco streets, in the heart of Santiago de Cuba, according to reports shared by independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada on his Facebook page.
According to information received from the scene, firefighters arrived to extinguish the flames that were consuming the vehicle. The images show a fire truck, with personnel deploying hoses and equipment, while the pavement was soaked from the water used to fight the fire.
A crowd of onlookers gathered around the burning car, visible in the photographs alongside the thick smoke rising in the darkness of the night.
At the time this publication was closed, the causes of the fire were unknown, and it was unclear whether there were any injuries. Mayeta described the news as "developing."
The incident adds to a series of vehicle fires reported in various Cuban cities throughout 2026, a phenomenon primarily attributed to the deterioration of the vehicle fleet, the scarcity of spare parts, makeshift repairs, and the poor quality of fuel distributed on the island.
Santiago de Cuba has been the site of several similar incidents this year. In March, a moped fire shook the Sueño neighborhood without leaving any casualties. In Havana, the cases have also multiplied: two cars burned near the Meliá Cohiba Hotel in May, and in April a taxi was completely burnt on a public road with firefighters intervening.
In June, a motor fuel explosion on San Rafael Boulevard in Central Havana left two vehicles damaged.
The Cuban Fire Department has indicated, in the case of electric motorcycles, that the fires are linked to defective lithium batteries, inadequate chargers, overloading, and informal repairs, a pattern that reflects the structural precariousness affecting transportation on the island.
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