Over the past seven days, the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires has been the scene of a series of serious incidents that raise serious doubts about the safety of industrial and residential facilities, the maintenance of gas and electricity networks, and the ability to prevent emergencies in densely populated urban areas.
On Friday, November 14, an explosion shook a warehouse in the Spegazzini industrial park (Ezeiza party, Buenos Aires province), causing a major fire and leaving at least twenty people injured. The emergency operation included firefighters, SAME ambulances, and a scientific police investigation to determine the origin of the fire.
On Thursday, November 6, a ten-story building located at Av. Scalabrini Ortiz 2342 in the Palermo neighborhood (CABA) caught fire. The focus of the fire is believed to have originated in an apartment on the first floor. As a result, a 68-year-old woman died, and five other people were treated for smoke inhalation.
On Wednesday, November 12, a gas leak and subsequent fire occurred in the Caballito neighborhood (CABA). At 6:15 PM, workers from the Edesur company intervened for an electrical emergency at Riglos 300, corner Formosa. During the work, a medium-pressure gas pipe from Metrogas distributor was broken, causing a gas leak that ignited, creating flames up to 12 meters high. One man suffered serious burns and at least nine people were evacuated. Mayor Gastón Granados stated that "everything is very confusing," while more than twenty fire brigades attempted to control the flames.
Despite being different incidents—a gas leak, a residential nighttime fire, and an industrial explosion—they all show common elements: vulnerability of critical infrastructure (gas, electricity, industry), complex emergency operations, and significant social and health consequences. The Caballito incident revealed that electrical work can trigger serious collateral damage to gas networks, a situation that demands stricter protocols for coordination between utility companies and emergency authorities.
The Palermo fire highlights the risks of high-rise residential units when combined with smoke, lack of ventilation, and structures not designed for nighttime evacuations. The Ezeiza fire once again puts the spotlight on industrial safety in the Buenos Aires suburbs: the magnitude of the fire, the preceding explosion, and the multiple fire brigades underline the scale of what happened.
The competent authorities—the city government of Buenos Aires, the Buenos Aires province, the municipalities involved, and the service distribution companies—must provide concrete answers on:
The exact causes of each incident and possible negligence or regulatory violations. The state of maintenance of gas, electricity, and industrial infrastructure in urban and peri-urban areas. The evacuation, ventilation, and rescue mechanisms in residential buildings and industrial warehouses. The contingency plans to minimize the risk of fire, smoke, or explosion spread and emergency communication to neighbors.
In conclusion, this series of incidents poses a challenge for the urban and industrial safety of Buenos Aires, and this week should serve as a wake-up call for the need to reinforce controls and protocols.
A "week of fires" in the metropolitan area
Collectively, these three events constitute what can be called a "fiery week" in the metropolitan area. In San Miguel, Buenos Aires province, residents are complaining about an unlicensed charcoal workshop in a residential area of quintas, Isabel La Catolica at 900, which puts neighbors at risk, not only due to lack of safety measures, but also because of the toxicity of the charcoal dust that affects people with asthma.
