A massive fire tore through makeshift homes and businesses in San Salvador’s historic center early Friday, killing five people. The blaze, which started in the pre-dawn hours, spread fast through buildings made of sheet metal, wood, cane, and mud, catching residents and authorities off guard.
Baltazar Solano, director of El Salvador’s Fire Department, told reporters at the scene that crews found five bodies amid the rubble. “We saw five people who lost their lives,” Solano said. Among the dead were two adults, a child, and a pregnant woman who died after being rushed to a hospital. The fifth victim’s identity remains unclear as officials work through the debris.
The fire broke out around 3:58 a.m. at the intersection of 4th Avenue South and 8th Street East, near the National Library of El Salvador. Classified as a level-three structural fire—the highest severity— it took nearly two hours to bring under control, with flames fully extinguished by 5:59 a.m. Firefighters focused first on searching for survivors before turning to cleanup to prevent re-ignition.
Luis Alonso Amaya, head of Civil Protection, said teams are tallying affected families to see if they need shelter or aid. Most residents lived in two main boarding houses in the area, now reduced to ash. The fire also damaged nearby commercial spots, including a place called La Concordia, and burned several parked vehicles.
Investigators have not pinned down the cause yet. Some witnesses pointed to an electrical transformer explosion as the possible trigger, based on local TV reports. The district, full of 19th-century buildings under restoration, holds key landmarks in the Salvadoran capital. Its age and crowded setup likely fueled the rapid spread, made worse by gas cylinders in some structures.
This incident hits during a yellow alert for wildfires in El Salvador, driven by dry weather and high winds. It highlights risks in dense urban areas across Central America, where old infrastructure meets growing populations.
In Costa Rica, emergency officials track such events to strengthen local plans, especially in similar historic neighborhoods. The loss in San Salvador underscores the need for regular electrical checks and clear evacuation paths in at-risk zones.
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