Kirsty Mckenzie
The company owned by Spanish entrepreneur Rosauro Varo has vowed to help rebuild Laguna Village after a devastating blaze burnt the complex to the ground on Saturday.
Purobeach Marbella released a statement pledging to save the fire-ravaged beach club and shopping centre, calling it a “unique environment”.
Varo, 41, was on vacation with actress Amaia Salamanca, 34, and their three children in the Balearic Islands, when he learned that Purobeach, the popular celeb Costa del Sol he owns, had been destroyed in the blaze.
A statement released by his company thanked the emergency services for their quick response and offered support to all the other businesses who lost everything in the inferno.
“Purobeach would like to express its gratitude to the Infoca, Fire, Police and Civil Protection personnel for the extraordinary effort made to the perimeter and control the fire as quickly as possible,” the statement read.
“Purobeach would also like to convey its support to those responsible for the Laguna Village Shopping Center and to the rest of the companies, clubs and restaurants located therein, with the hope that soon, with everyone’s effort, we will rebuild this unique environment that is Laguna Village and we will once again experience authentic moments in Purobeach Marbella.”
The blaze originated in the Rio Padron area and was officially declared a forest fire at 2pm on Saturday, August 29.
Strong winds carried the fire across the A-7 towards Laguna Village and the Kempinski hotel, where all 80 guests were safely evacuated.
No one was hurt in the blaze but firefighters remained on the scene until late that night.
They managed to bring the blaze under control but the fashionable venue, which boasts a beachfront open-air restaurant and is well-known for its summer parties, was completely gutted along with popular shopping complex Laguna Village.
An investigation has been launched into why the fire started.
Footage from the scene showed flames devastating the venue’s wooden frontage and huge plumes of black smoke rising into the air.
British expats were among those on the beach later that day, looking on in horror at the trail of destruction left behind by the flames.
One said of the fire at the beach club, on a stretch of sand known as Playa del Padron, to the north of Estepona town centre: “It’s awful but at least no one was hurt.”
Meanwhile one guest at the five star Kempinski hotel, right next to the fire-ravaged centre told Olive Press that he and his family were scared to return to the hotel following the evacuation.
Guest Jesus Garcia, on holiday from Madrid with his family, said: “It was fully horrifying. We were very afraid. Obviously something like this is unexpected for all the guests.
“Currently it seems to be under control but we continue to be scared. Seeig there is a forest fire across the road is definitely something to be worried about.
Shop worker Kate Ozog, 40, who manages three fashion stores within the complex, said the blaze was a massive blow to business already struggling in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.
She told Olive Press: “I was at home when I learned of what had happened. All I was told was fire and my heart sank. I am stressed but there is nothing I can do.
“There is nothing left. The restaurants, the shops, everything is gone. They don’t exist. Twenty shops or something, all gone.
‘It’s been such a tough summer and now the fire. We can do nothing. We have to start from scratch.”
