Dispute over whether dead power line sparked deadly Los Gallardos fire

The Los Gallardos fire in Almería, which has killed 12 people and left 23 missing, is at the center of a dispute over its cause. Investigators from the Guardia Civil's Seprona and the BIIF are focusing on a fallen power line and a rotten wooden pole as the likely origin Source: elespanol.

The electrical dispute

Endesa, the utility company, insists that the cable in question had been de-energized since 2009 when the restaurant it served closed, making it impossible for electricity to have sparked the fire Source: elmundoes. However, the Guardia Civil is working on the hypothesis that the line was live Source: elmundoes. The investigators also consider two other possibilities: the cable broke due to lack of maintenance or wind, or the rotten pole collapsed and pulled down the wires Source: elespanol.

Key points

• The post and cable are owned by a private individual, not Endesa, making him responsible for maintenance Source: elmundoes, elespanol.
• The cable is a double aluminum line with a steel core, without plastic insulation, which could have sparked if it contacted the iron support Source: elespanol.
• The fire started on Thursday afternoon at kilometer 511 of the N-340A road, near the abandoned restaurant Source: elmundoes.