A large fire broke out this week beside Palma’s Son Sant Joan airport, sending a column of black smoke over the Bay of Palma as holiday flights continued to arrive.
The blaze started at around 3pm in the area of Mercapalma, the city’s wholesale food market, which lies close to the airport. According to initial reports, several lorries caught fire and the flames then spread to dry scrubland near the Son Banya settlement, burning trucks, trailers and an abandoned car park.
Flights kept operating
Despite the fire’s proximity to the runways, airport operator Aena decided that it did not pose an immediate risk to aircraft, and flights continued to take off and land as normal. Emergency teams remained on standby in case conditions changed.
The response
Firefighters from Palma and from the airport’s own fire service worked to bring the flames under control, stop them from approaching the airport perimeter and protect nearby residents.
No serious injuries were reported. Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion, and a local resident received attention for an anxiety attack caused by the smoke. Residents of Son Banya were advised to stay indoors until the fire had been put out, and many shared images of the dark sky on social media.
A busy airport
Palma is one of Spain’s busiest airports, handling more than 30 million passengers a year, most of them in the summer months. Any disruption in July and August affects tens of thousands of travellers, which is why the decision to keep flights moving was closely watched.
Summer fires in scrubland and abandoned land around the city are a recurring problem. The Balearic authorities remind landowners each year to clear dry vegetation, and the use of fire outdoors is restricted during the high-risk season from May to October.
