Ceuta migrant camp fires destroy over 40 tents after chilling threats to families

Families living in a makeshift migrant settlement in Ceuta have been left without shelter after fire tore through their tents and makeshift huts during a tense night in the Spanish enclave.

At least 40 tents and shacks were destroyed at Las Naves del Tarajal shortly after midnight on Friday September 11, with around 200 people believed to have been living in the settlement.

The blaze was brought under control by emergency crews within around two hours and, despite the scale of the fire, nobody was reported injured.

The settlement is home to migrants who arrived in Ceuta during the huge influx from Morocco in late July and who have yet to secure accommodation in an official facility. Many are families with children.

Firefighters, police and other emergency services attended the scene as flames swept through the makeshift structures, which contained highly flammable materials.

Fire follows attack on families

The incident has heightened fears among migrants after a separate attack at the same settlement earlier this week.

On Tuesday 8, hooded men reportedly approached the camp during the early hours, throwing stones at tents and firing a pellet gun.

A six-year-old boy, identified as Ali, was seriously injured after being hit while sleeping inside a tent with his parents and brother. He was taken to hospital for emergency treatment.

According to a complaint filed by the boy’s mother, the attackers also shouted threats at the families, including warnings that they would burn them.

No arrests had been made in connection with that attack at the time of reporting.

The latest fire has therefore caused particular alarm among residents, although police have not established a link between the two incidents.

🚨 FUEGO EN LA FRONTERA: UN INCENDIO DESCONTROLADO ARRASA EL CORAZÓN COMERCIAL DE CEUTA 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/2OSLEndqsG

— Miguel Pader 🇪🇸 (@MPSnoserinde) September 10, 2026

Police investigate cause

Investigators are still working to establish exactly how the fire started.

Police currently believe the most likely explanation is an accident or negligence within the settlement itself. Families living there have rejected that theory.

The blaze came amid a wider night of fires across Ceuta.

Several vehicles and rubbish containers were set alight at the Virgen de África Industrial Estate, while another fire near the Díaz-Flor Sports Complex also involved vehicles and a container.

A public cleaning company employee has been arrested in connection with some of those incidents and has appeared before a judge.

Emergency services said the night’s overall toll included 42 destroyed shacks, eight vehicles and four containers.

Tensions rise in Ceuta

The fires come as tensions continue to grow in the seven-square-mile Spanish territory following the unprecedented arrival of migrants from Morocco in July.

Around 80,000 people are estimated to have crossed into Ceuta during the mass border breach, although the vast majority have since returned to Morocco.

Thousands remain in the enclave, with some living in emergency accommodation while others continue to sleep in improvised settlements.

The worsening conditions have fuelled frustration among local residents, while migrants face increasingly precarious living conditions and growing fears for their safety.

For the families who lost everything in Friday’s blaze, the immediate concern is now where they will sleep next.