[5] The rapid spread of the fire, exacerbated by strong winds, building materials and a stack effect, led to the complete destruction of the complex's 138 apartments, trapping numerous residents inside.

[6] Mirroring the circumstances of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, where polyurethane and aluminium cladding were used,[9][5] the two-tower complex in Valencia was in initially thought to present a different scenario.

Esther Puchades, the vice president of the Valencia College of Industrial and Technical Engineers who had also inspected the building, said that the fire was the first of its kind in Spain.

[22] Footage of a firefighter jumping from a seventh floor balcony to a safety mat in order to evacuate was shown in multiple Spanish news outlets.

[5] During the morning of 23 February the fire brigade was unable to search for missing people inside the apartment complex due to the extreme heat in the building.

[23] Drones were utilized by rescue workers to search the building while emergency personnel worked to cool the exterior, in order to locate the bodies of potential victims.

The fire rapidly intensified when it reached the building’s exterior cladding, which consisted of aluminum composite panels with a polyethylene core, materials known for their flammability but legal when installed.

Residents reported that water flow from fire suppression systems was inadequate, which may have been due to power being cut, rendering pressure pumps ineffective.

[16] The president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, Valencia mayor María José Catalá, and central government delegate to the Valencian Community Pilar Bernabé [ca] expressed dismay over the disaster and asked residents not to go near the area to ensure the work of emergency services.

[6] The Royal Household also issued an official communiqué, in which it stated that King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia "were following the evolution of the fire in Valencia with concern", as well as sending their full support to the emergency services and best wishes for the recovery of the injured.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation said a minute of silence would be held before the UEFA Women's Nations League semifinal match between Spain and the Netherlands in Seville on 23 February.