{"id":17828,"date":"2026-10-10T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=17828"},"modified":"2026-10-10T00:00:02","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T05:00:02","slug":"colon-free-zone-fire-engulfs-france-field-warehouses-after-quake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/business-economy\/colon-free-zone-fire-engulfs-france-field-warehouses-after-quake\/","title":{"rendered":"Colon Free Zone Fire Engulfs France Field Warehouses After Quake"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A powerful blaze swept through multiple warehouses in the <a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/politics-government\/red-alert-on-the-roads-attt-tightens-the-noose-and-will-demand-drug-tests-for-new-drivers\/\" rel=\"internal\">Colon Free Zone<\/a>&#8216;s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/France_Field\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">France Field<\/a> sector on Friday afternoon, October 9, as <a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/politics-government\/100000-motorcycles-push-panama-traffic-regulations-into-overhaul\/\" rel=\"internal\">emergency crews<\/a> struggled to reach the scene through <a href=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/travel-transportation-tourism\/driving-to-panama-city-on-tuesday-october-6-traffic-is-set-to-get-brutal\/\" rel=\"internal\">gridlocked traffic<\/a>. The Colon Free Zone Fire remained uncontrolled at the time of initial reports, with loud explosions heard from inside the burning structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Firefighters from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bomberos.gob.pa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Colon Fire Department<\/a> deployed approximately five engine companies to battle the flames. Workers evacuated the affected warehouses, and no missing persons had been reported, according to Fire Commander Abel Mart\u00ednez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"es\" dir=\"ltr\">Desde lo lejos nos llega este video, Conato de Incendio en Zona Libre de Col\u00f3n\nEl segundo video lo confirma https:\/\/t.co\/LDh4PTdbDU<\/p>&mdash; Bol\u00edvar Orlando Cesar (@bolivarpty) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/bolivarpty\/status\/2108646001330274337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 9, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Traffic Congestion Slows Emergency Response to Colon Free Zone Fire<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The emergency response faced immediate obstacles as vehicles clogged routes leading to France Field. The congestion coincided with a mass exodus of private sector employees sent home following a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Panama earlier that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mart\u00ednez issued a direct appeal to motorists as water tankers and pump trucks experienced significant delays reaching the fire. &#8220;We ask for your support, your help, because the tankers are coming and they are being delayed,&#8221; he said [Translated from Spanish]. Traffic units were requested to clear access corridors for responding apparatus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The commander confirmed that additional cisterns were being dispatched to maintain water supply and reduce the intense heat radiating from the structure. &#8220;The fire, as you can see, the warehouse is enormous and we have to see how we can lower the temperatures,&#8221; Mart\u00ednez stated [Translated from Spanish].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DeTEQszjja-\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DeTEQszjja-\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">Ver esta publicaci\u00f3n en Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DeTEQszjja-\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Una publicaci\u00f3n compartida por Bomberos Panama (@bomberospanama)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earthquake Link Under Investigation by Fire Authorities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cause of the blaze has not been officially determined. Investigators from the National Directorate of Security, Prevention and Fire Investigation (Dinasepi) will lead the inquiry into what triggered the warehouse fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked about a potential connection to the earlier seismic event, Mart\u00ednez said he could not confirm a link but noted that the strong earthquake very likely played a role in the incident. The timing of the fire, occurring shortly after the 7.2 magnitude tremor prompted evacuations across the region, raised immediate questions about whether structural damage or ruptured utility lines contributed to the emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/entrada-4-zona-libre-de-coln-1200x800-1-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"Entrada 4 Zona Libre de Col\u00f3n\" class=\"wp-image-12350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/entrada-4-zona-libre-de-coln-1200x800-1-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/entrada-4-zona-libre-de-coln-1200x800-1-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/entrada-4-zona-libre-de-coln-1200x800-1-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/entrada-4-zona-libre-de-coln-1200x800-1-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/entrada-4-zona-libre-de-coln-1200x800-1-450x300.webp 450w, https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/entrada-4-zona-libre-de-coln-1200x800-1.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Colon Free Zone, a major logistics and trade hub on Panama&#8217;s Caribbean coast, had already suspended commercial activities following the earthquake. By Administraci\u00f3n de la Zona Libre de Col\u00f3n &#8211; Zona Libre de Col\u00f3n.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Commercial Impact and Regional Emergency Response<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Colon Free Zone, a major logistics and trade hub on Panama&#8217;s Caribbean coast, had already suspended commercial activities following the earthquake. The warehouse fire compounds an already chaotic day for the region&#8217;s emergency services and business operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fire crews continued arriving as reinforcements throughout the afternoon. The priority remained containing the flames before they spread to adjacent warehouse facilities in the densely packed commercial district. No injuries had been reported at the time of the initial emergency response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Authorities maintained that a full assessment of damages would only be possible once the fire was brought under control and investigators could safely enter the affected structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wJKZbKWxL-I?cc_lang_pref=en&#038;hl=en&#038;cc_load_policy=1\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A powerful blaze swept through multiple warehouses in the Colon Free Zone&#8216;s France Field sector on Friday afternoon, October 9, as emergency crews struggled to reach the scene through gridlocked traffic. The Colon Free Zone Fire remained uncontrolled at the time of initial reports, with loud explosions heard from inside the burning structures. Firefighters from<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17829,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30,31,87],"tags":[2450,2110,489,50,7425],"class_list":["post-17828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business-economy","category-crime-safety","category-featured","tag-emergency-response","tag-fire","tag-logistics","tag-panama","tag-warehouse-blaze"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17828"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17830,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17828\/revisions\/17830"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}