Residents in the region of Murcia were warned to stay indoors on Monday night after a Repsol refinery caught on fire.
An emergency alert was sent to phones across several municipalities in Cartagena, as huge plumes of black smoke filled the air.
It advised people to ‘not go out onto the street’ and to keep their doors and windows shut all through the night.
Footage shared on X showed a Civil Protection van in Alumbres being driven by two men in masks, as a message blared from a megaphone warning of a ‘chemical incident’, adding that residents are ‘advised to stay indoors.’
The inferno was reported shortly before 6pm in the Escombreras Valley, sparking concern among nearby residents and the activation of emergency protocols.
According to Repsol, the fire started at 5.50pm in Topping Unit Three at its Cartagena complex.
The company informed the 112 Emergency Coordination Centre, which dispatched local police and firefighters to the site.
Repsol said the fire was brought under control using its own emergency teams and that no injuries were reported.
Smoke visible for hours
Strong winds helped disperse the smoke but also made it visible across a wide area, triggering dozens of calls from worried residents, particularly in neighbourhoods close to the industrial zone.
In Alumbres, some residents chose to leave their homes as a precaution after seeing the scale of the smoke. These departures were voluntary and not the result of any official evacuation order.
Even hours after the fire had been controlled, smoke was still visible above the complex as crews continued monitoring the situation.
Mobile alerts sent to residents
As a precaution, residents in Escombreras, Alumbres and Portman received emergency notifications via ES-Alert, Spain’s civil protection warning system.
The message advised people to stay indoors, close doors and windows, and avoid the area. Drivers were urged to move away from the zone if already on the road.
Cartagena City Council later issued its own statement, following guidance from the regional emergency authorities, recommending that residents in surrounding areas – including Alumbres, Borricen, Portman, Vista Alegre and Roche – remain indoors with windows and shutters closed, including overnight, and stay alert to official updates.
Emergency plan activated
At 7.05pm, the CECOP activated the External Emergency Plan for the Chemical Sector of the Escombreras Valley, classifying the incident as an operational level 0, category 1 emergency.
The alert was shared with the central government’s regional delegation and the councils of Cartagena and La Unión, in line with established safety protocols.
Emergency services remain on standby as authorities continue to monitor the site.
