The blaze destroyed every palapa — traditional open-sided shelters with thatched roofs — in the affected area, Valencia said, calling the damage a total loss. Authorities attributed the fire to an electrical fault.
A fire burned more than 60 cabanas and shops in Punta Zicatela, a small beach town on Mexico’s Pacific coast in the southern state of Oaxaca, early Friday, leaving no casualties, according to local Mayor Román Valencia.
Valencia spoke during a live broadcast from his Facebook account several hours after the fire started, describing a scene of devastation littered with debris, charred palm trees, twisted tin roofs and piles of ash. Neighbors were helping clean up while rescue teams worked to extinguish the last embers.
“Not a single palapa (a type of open-sided shelter with a thatched roof) was left intact, it took everything,” Valencia said. “A total loss.”
The local prosecutor’s office said the fire was probably caused by an electrical fault, citing the absence of flammable material at the scene.
Punta Zicatela lies south of Puerto Escondido, a larger tourist hub on Oaxaca’s Pacific coast. The town draws mainly Mexican tourists seeking a beach vacation away from large hotels and resorts.