The fire that devoured a building on Maestro Rodrigo Street in Valencia last Thursday, February 22, which left at least four dead and 19 missing, has revealed a latent risk, unknown to many, in urban structures: polyurethane .
Esther Puchades, vice president of the College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Valencia (Cogitival), confirmed in À Punt the presence of this highly flammable material in the affected building. The combination of this material with the west wind would have been a fatal cocktail for the spread of the fire.
Polyurethane is a common component in daily life, present in multiple products, from insulation in buildings to vehicle parts and mattresses. It is a substance created from a chemical reaction between two compounds - diisocyanates and polyols -, known for its versatility and ability to adopt different shapes and densities.
This material, despite its usefulness, presents a significant danger due to its flammability. In particular, polyurethane foams, commonly used in insulation and packaging, can easily burn if they come into contact with a fire source, releasing potentially toxic fumes.
To mitigate these risks, versions with flame retardant additives have been developed, although their effectiveness is not entirely reliable and may vary depending on the situation. This tragic event, in the absence of control, has revived the debate about the use of flammable materials in construction, especially given the history of fires in buildings related to polyurethane, such as the case of the Grenfell Tower in London in 2017.
Puchades, who evaluated the damaged building, pointed out in À Punt the polyurethane coating as the catalyst for the rapid spread of the fire. Although in 2005, when the building was built, the negative reputation of polyurethane was not so widespread, today its use is avoided in a way that facilitates the spread of fire. However, the existence of old buildings coated with polyurethane is a problem, since it cannot be quantified how many there are.
Therefore, the Valencia tragedy corroborates the importance of verifying the use of flammable materials in construction. In this sense, the specialist insisted on the need to review current construction regulations and suggested that, although polyurethane continues to be a permitted material, recent events could drive a change towards safer practices.
Likewise, the implementation of fire barriers and the design of ventilated facades, as Puchades commented, are examples of how this material can be used but reducing the risk of fire, which shows that it is possible to use polyurethane more safely if applied proper precautions. In addition, according to the expert, manufacturers are working to make a more fire-resistant composition.
