"Small, big hero"

Spain celebrates janitor after fire disaster

Janitor Julian - besieged by journalists in his red jacket - is the hero of Valencia.

(Bild: APA/AFP/JOSE JORDAN)

The fire tragedy in Valencia could have been much bigger. The quick intervention of Julián, the janitor of the building where the fire broke out, saved the lives of many residents. Spain celebrates him as a "small, big hero".

After a fire inferno in a residential complex in Valencia, Spain, the body of the tenth and final victim has been recovered. According to the authorities in the Mediterranean metropolis, there are no more missing persons. Meanwhile, help arrived at the weekend for around 140 families who had become homeless. The city made a building with 131 council apartments available for "the next few months". Reports of a heroic janitor also offered some consolation.

Families have lost everything
It will probably take longer for the families of the fatalities, the survivors who have lost everything and the whole country to fully come to terms with the tragedy. Above all, Spaniards are concerned with the question of how safe the tens of thousands of residential complexes are that were built during the construction boom of the 2000s, including in the vacation resorts on the Mediterranean.

The fire spread rapidly in the tower block.

(Bild: Associated Press)

"Just doing my duty"
In the midst of uncertainty and grief, however, an unlikely hero offered the country some solace. Janitor Julián had noticed the fire early and ran from apartment door to apartment door to warn residents.

He helped a 72-year-old woman down the stairs. Wearing his thick, red winter jacket, he was the center of attention on Saturday at a moving memorial ceremony in front of the town hall in Valencia with a minute's silence and many tears.

"Little, great hero"
Julián was cheered and hugged by hundreds, praised by politicians as a "key figure" and mobbed by journalists and photographers. He said shyly: "I was only doing my duty."

The newspaper "El Mundo" and other papers had his picture on page one on Sunday, the state TV station RTVE celebrated "the small, great hero". Without his selfless efforts, the number of victims would probably have been much higher, it said.

Flames spread rapidly
The modern residential complex contained around 140 apartments with around 450 residents. The fire broke out at around 5 p.m. on Thursday and quickly engulfed the entire residential complex with two wings.

According to experts, the surprisingly rapid spread of the flames, which was broadcast live on TV, was probably caused by flammable parts of the façade insulation. Strong winds also fanned the fire. However, various regional architectural associations rejected the speculation and asked that the results of the investigations be awaited. The judiciary opened an investigation.