Catalonia’s “Chemical Pool”: When Chlorine Meets Firefighters

On Saturday, along the Catalan coast—where trouble rarely announces itself at dawn—a real-life chemistry lesson unfolded on an industrial scale: a warehouse storing pool supplies caught fire in the municipality of Vilanova i la Geltrú. For 150,000 local residents, the day began with an unexpected quest: to air out the apartment or not, when the breeze outside is less sea-fresh and more thick chlorine cloud.

Catalonia’s Interior Minister, Núria Parlón, demonstrated remarkable promptness: at first, residents of five towns between Barcelona and Tarragona were urgently told to stay indoors, sealing anything that might let air in. But by noon, apparently after taking a good deep breath, the authorities allowed most people to step outside again (if they really wanted to). Children, athletes, and other healthy lifestyle enthusiasts, however, were advised to continue their workouts in “sofa and balcony” mode.

The cause of this toxic morning was classic: firefighters, armed with water and courage, rushed in to battle the flames, unaware that water and chlorine make for a kind of chemistry no one wants at a party. According to the mayor, the water reacted with the chlorine, producing a cloud that not only didn’t smell of the sea, but wasn’t exactly healthy either.

The most surprising part—no one was hurt. Then again, Catalans are used to surprises: if it’s not Catalan politics, at least a chemical scare brightens up the weekend. Firefighters are now closely monitoring the cloud for any new surprises: as everyone knows, chlorine is a volatile and tricky element.

The warehouse owner, who got a firsthand lesson in the power of the “elements,” noted: “Chlorine rarely catches fire, but when it does, putting it out is harder than arguing about Catalan independence.”

The takeaway is simple: sometimes the pool comes to you—but it’s better when it stays on the other side of the fence.