Stage fire in Barcelona

JohnD

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At least everyone got out safe.
 
Several interesting comments at ProSoundWeb forums about this:
http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,164322.0.html
Within seconds, the screens had safety warnings replacing original content.
The stage seems to have been properly built since it didn't collapse despite the intensity of the fire.

I also found it interesting that the earliest reports from Europe mentioned that the fire was on the left side of the stage, Thats Stage Left.
 
This video shows the early stages of the fire pretty well.

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Looks like they let the music keep rolling for a little while longer than they probably should have when it became apparent the portal was on fire.
 
I feel an unhealthy amount of empathy for that poor moving head at 1:25.
 
Wow. That certainly escalated quickly.

I think the next Tomorrowland will likely include piping for a fire suppression system...

Glad nobody was hurt, a crowd that large mixed with alcohol and an emergency could have ended very badly.
 
From the flaming pieces dropping from the fire at the very start and then continuing, it looks like some type of foam that caught fire. If that's the case, it's too bad that they either didn't use fire retardant foam (refer to articles about Grenfell apt. tower in London) or sufficiently encapsulate the foam with a fire retardant that has a sufficient thermal barrier. Once fire burns through the flame retardant exterior layer, the flammable foam underneath is exposed, which will then burn freely. So, while a fire suppression system is a good idea, starting with less flammable items is good practice. In most places, it's legally mandated, but in outdoor events, things can start to get a bit slack in terms of enforcement and strict rule interpretation. Generally, the EU is stricter with fire regulations than the US.
 
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Good to see the fire-fighters got it under control rather quickly. That doesn't look like terribly much more damage than when the video ended.
 
Generally, the EU is stricter with fire regulations than the US.

Some of the EU. The UK, in a effort to relax the burdens on business, changed the requirement on the types of cladding that could be used on the exterior of buildings, thus the Glenfell disaster. The US actually has stronger laws about this stuff.

Not much of this is pertinent to the Barcelona fire as that's an exterior theatrical event that I would expect would have much different code requirements.
 
Thanks for the tidbit about the change in requirements on cladding! That hasn't been presented in the news here in the US, that I've seen.
The reference to Glenfell was more to give an idea of what happens when foam burns.

Requirements for flame resistance in the US aren't that much different between outdoors and indoors. Amongst other outdoor events, I worked on the Electric Daisy Festival in NYC last year, which is a similar type of event to Tomorrowland. Everything needs to pass NFPA 701, even outdoors. I don't know current EU code specifically for outdoor events in Spain, or where the EU Fire Code adoption process is at. I believe the UK requires similar to US certification for theatrical elements, even outdoors. We've been asked to provide certification to meet BS for both indoor and outdoor shows.
 
I built a project that went into Wynn Casino in Macao. I was ASTOUNDED at the Fire retardant regulations and certifications I had to provide the Chinese government.
 
Seeing the aftermath picture I'm really impressed at the quality of truss and construction. They may have gone cheap on the fire retardant, but that structure was built right and may have saved lives in the process. So they got one thign right.
 
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Seeing the aftermath picture I'm really impressed at the quality of truss construction. They may have gone cheap on the fire retardant, but that structure was built right and may have saved lives in the process. So they got one thign right.

Shame they'll probably have to take a wrecking ball to it. Any equipment that's still in good condition won't be worth risking the lives of workers trying to dismantle it the same way it went up.
 
Just saw a Pyro guy, on Facebook, blaming a spotlight that was mounted too close to a back-lit screen.....Lot's of finger pointing.
 
Yeah; I'm seeing that going around too -- blaming it on a Sharpy overheating something "because it was closer than 40' away".

I'm not actually supposed to believe Sharpy's can set fires within 40 feet, right?

I mean, Clay Paky are great people, and all, but...
 
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Yeah; I'm seeing that going around too -- blaming it on a Sharpy overheating something "because it was closer than 40' away".

I'm not actually supposed to believe Sharpy's can set fires within 40 feet, right?

I mean, Clay Paky are great people, and all, but...
And, as I state on FB whether the Sharpy or pyro started it completely misses the point that once ignited the 'fire' should have self extinguished.
 
I'm not actually supposed to believe Sharpy's can set fires within 40 feet, right?

More likely to smolder/melt something than to spark a flame. Also very unlikely to be left on and pointed at the same spot long enough during the middle of a show. Now if it was during setup and someone distracted the board op while they were updating focus palettes and one or a few of those fixtures was beaming directly at a bit of pyro nearby for an extended period, that might sound more plausible. I don't think that kind of perfect storm would exist during the middle of a show though, or that someone would manage to park their pyro that close to a heat source.

And, as I state on FB whether the Sharpy or pyro started it completely misses the point that once ignited the 'fire' should have self extinguished.

That's more interesting to me than what the cause of ignition was. That fire was self sustaining. With pyro involved, that all should've been built of out of non-combustible or flame retarded materials regardless of regulations or being an outdoor venue.
 
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