1941 Santander fire | |
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Date(s) | From 15 February to 16 February 1941. Some embers remained burning for 15 days. It started a little before 9:00 p.m. on 15 February. |
Location | Santander, Spain |
Coordinates | 43°27′35″N 3°48′34″W / 43.459794°N 3.809361°W |
Statistics | |
Burned area | 14 ha |
Land use | Mainly residential. |
Impacts | |
Deaths | 1 firefighter |
Non-fatal injuries | 115 |
Ignition | |
Cause | Probably a stove or fireplace, although it could also have been a short circuit. |
Map | |
The Santander fire of 1941 was a natural disaster that occurred in the Spanish city of Santander during the early morning hours of 15 February to 16 February 1941.[1] Occurring decades after the explosion of the steamship Cabo Machichaco (1893), it is considered the most devastating fire in the history of the city.
The fire destroyed a large part of the historic center of the city, including the cathedral, and caused a great change in the urban structure of Santander. Most of the damage was material, as thousands of families lost their homes and businesses. There was one fatality, a firefighter from Madrid, and more than a hundred people were injured. The fire is popularly known as the Andalusian fire because, curiously, it started on Cadiz Street and the flames were stopped at Seville Street.