Fire training in Benidorm

A fire in a skyscraper in Benidorm was not all it seemed, despite the smoke billowing from the building and the emergency services cordoning off the streets and evacuating residents.
It was a prearranged fire drill to test the reaction times of the police, fire service and medics.
Santiago Rivera, Chief of Firefighters Marina Baxia, explained the reason for the drill.
“We have found that a lot of people are using what they see in films as a guide as to how to evacuate a building during a fire. They must remember that what they see is not real. In the films they always use the stairs, this is very dangerous as fire will naturally be drawn towards a stairwell, it is like a big chimney.
“We advise people to stay in their rooms if the fire is not in their immediate vicinity and use wet towels to stop any smoke entering the room.”
The fire awareness initiative has seen 90 per cent of police receive training in evacuation techniques and liaising with other emergency services to coordinate the safety of those at risk. One onlooker from Britain, Mary Franklin, said: “Thank god it wasn’t real, it certainly looked it. We saw the smoke and the firemen and thought a hotel was on fire.”
The practice saw 45 emergency service people involved and there will be more operations like it in different situations throughout the summer.