“The Chinese store that caught fire occupies the lower floor of several buildings, which led us to evacuate about 100 residents from the upper floors of those buildings as a precaution. These residents were only allowed to return to their homes from midnight, after the habitability conditions of all residential units were verified,” said the commander of the Setúbal Firefighters.
According to David Domingues, the fire that broke out around 7:00 PM at the Hiper China store also caused minor injuries to two firefighters — first and second-degree burns — and destroyed a large part of the store’s contents due to the thermal load of the products sold, namely “fabrics, plastics, and other flammable products.”
When asked, the commander said he was unaware if the commercial establishment in question was properly licensed but highlighted that, in Setúbal and other cities across the country, there are several similar establishments dealing with various types of products, more or less hazardous, that are located on the lower floors of residential buildings.
David Domingues also noted that the store was almost completely destroyed and that the safety conditions of the building and its roof began to be assessed this morning by technicians from the Setúbal City Council.
According to the Sub-regional Command of Civil Protection in the Setúbal Peninsula, the alert for the fire was received at 7:07 PM, and the fire was declared extinct at 11:50 PM.
A total of 58 operatives from the Setúbal Firefighters and Voluntary Firefighters of Águas de Moura, supported by 22 vehicles, were involved in fighting the flames.
