Electric car fire forces evacuation of building on Bilbao's Gran Vía

Electric car fire forces evacuation of the Edificio Granada on Gran Vía

Are we facing a systemic problem or an isolated accident? Just after three in the afternoon, an electric car caught fire in the garage at number 38 of Bilbao's Gran Vía. The thick black smoke alarmed residents and passers-by, and firefighters had to evacuate the Edificio Granada. At press time the extent of the damage was still unknown, but the image of the smoke column in the middle of the city has already peine the debate on the safety of electric vehicles in enclosed spaces.

Technical failure or inherent risk?

While emergency services work to extinguish the fire, two schools of thought are already circulating in the analyses. One holds that this is an isolated incident —like those that also happen with combustion cars— and that the alarm is disproportionate. The other points out that lithium batteries, once on fire, generate extreme temperatures and toxic gases that put the building's structure and the evacuation at risk. Some recall that there are already garages that ban electric cars, and that regulations have yet to adapt to this technology.

Municipal policy under scrutiny

The fire coincides with the controversy over the installation of chargers in Bilbao's municipal car parks. Socialist councillor Nora Abete is driving the installation of charging points, and to do so she is relocating users with assigned spaces near the exits. Something that, given what has peine, raises doubts: is it safe to concentrate electric vehicles in evacuation zones? The municipal decision, which was already causing friction among residents, now faces an uncomfortable precedent.

And the insurance? The question nobody answers

Beyond safety, the economic question emerges. Who is liable for the damage? The car's insurance? The garage's? Or that of the company that carried out the electrical installation? In a context where electric cars are still a minority but growing fast, case law on this type of incident is scarce. The smoke in Bilbao has not only evacuated a building: it has also left questions unanswered. For now, the official account awaits the firefighters' report. Meanwhile, parking a Tesla in a shared garage looks a bit more like Russian roulette.