A significant fire erupted in a luxury Panama City high-rise on Wednesday afternoon, prompting a major emergency response. Firefighters from the Panama Fire Department successfully contained the blaze to a single apartment on the 17th floor of the Bayfront Towers building located on Balboa Avenue. Officials reported no injuries, though the affected unit suffered total damage.
The first social media reports of smoke appeared around 5:00 p.m. The formal alarm reached fire stations approximately thirty minutes later. Lieutenant Colonel Ángel Delgado provided the preliminary details, confirming that units from the Calidonia, Balboa, and Plaza Amador stations responded to the scene. Nearly twenty emergency vehicles converged on the upscale avenida balboa area.
Challenges in Containing the Blaze
Fire crews faced immediate obstacles upon arrival. The source of the smoke was traced to the 17th-floor apartment, but secured doors prevented access. This required firefighters to perform a forced entry (firefighting) maneuver. Their primary goal was to verify no occupants remained inside before beginning extinguishment procedures.
Lieutenant Colonel Delgado explained the operation’s complexities in an official statement.
“The access to the affected apartment presented difficulties due to security doors, so firefighters were forced to perform forced entry maneuvers with the objective of verifying if there were people inside and proceeding with fire extinguishment,” Delgado said. [Translated from Spanish]
The intense response brought the fire under control by 5:53 p.m. Crews then shifted to ventilation operations, clearing toxic smoke from the building’s upper floors. An investigation to determine the exact cause is now underway. Early reports from the scene suggest a possible explosion ignited the flames.
Resident Accounts Reveal Safety Concerns
While officials managed the physical fire, resident testimonies highlighted potential safety system failures. A Spanish national living on the 22nd floor stated he never heard any building alarm. He only noticed the danger after stepping out of the shower and smelling smoke. He and other residents self-evacuated by knocking on neighbors’ doors.
Another resident from Colombia, who lives on the 25th floor, returned from walking her dog to find the Panama Fire Department already on site. She expressed frustration with the building’s emergency preparedness. Several evacuees questioned why alarm systems and sprinklers did not activate during the incident.
Captain Otilio Racine, who assisted in the emergency response, provided a crucial detail about the apartment’s occupants. He confirmed the residents of the unit where the explosion occurred were not home at the time. The property owner arrived at the building several minutes after the initial report.
Investigation and Cleanup Continue
The fire remained confined to its apartment of origin. Dense smoke, however, spread to other areas of the 17th floor. This created an initial perception of wider damage. A preventive evacuation order for the entire high-rise remained in effect for several hours as a standard safety precaution.
Firefighters also rescued pets left inside apartments during the sudden evacuation. Crews continue working to fully secure the scene and eliminate any residual risks. Residents have not yet been cleared to return to their homes as of Wednesday evening. The coming days will focus on the official investigation and restoration efforts for the prominent Balboa Avenue address.