TORREVIEJA — An intense fire has completely destroyed the elevated work platform being used by Torrevieja’s parks and gardens maintenance company for an urgent palm tree safety inspection.
The specialized lift machine was engulfed in flames on Tuesday afternoon on the Punta Margalla promenade.
Urgent Inspection Triggered by Tragedy
The machine was central to a city-wide inspection of the municipal inventory of 5,000 palm trees. This mass evaluation was ordered by the government team following the tragic death of a young man on November 15, who was crushed when a palm tree—infected with the Red Palm Weevil (picudo rojo)—collapsed onto his vehicle on the CV-905 road.
Machine Burned After Use
The fire started shortly after 1:30 PM in the lower part of the lift, where the engine and wheels are located. According to the Provincial Fire Consortium, the flames spread quickly via the tyres, resulting in the complete destruction of the vehicle.
Six firefighters from the Torrevieja park, supported by Local Police and Guardia Civil, responded to the blaze.
Sources indicate that the machine was not running at the time of the fire. Maintenance crew had finished their work and the machine was parked, awaiting collection by the company that owns it. The column of smoke was highly visible from Los Locos beach, alerting nearby residents.
Specialized Safety Work Continues
The destroyed lift had been used for over a week for an in-depth inspection that goes beyond visual checks, as the Red Palm Weevil larvae can be difficult to spot.
The inspection process involves:
- Taking samples from the palm crown.
- Tapping the trunk with a mallet to check for hollowness.
- Drilling a small hole to extract material for analysis.
The company, which had recently finished inspections on the Vista Alegre and Juan Aparicio promenades, confirmed that work will continue in other areas using rented machinery.
In a separate, unrelated incident nearby, a motorcycle also caught fire on Tuesday, causing damage to two balconies of a nearby building.
