A massive fire erupted in a luxury beach resort in the Dominican Republic on Friday, June 19, killing one tourist and forcing the evacuation of around 1700 guests.
The incident occurred in the early morning hours at the Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham resort in Bayahibe, a popular Caribbean tourist destination on the country’s southeastern coast.
Within hours, large sections of the resort were engulfed and reduced to ash.
How the blaze occurred
The exact cause of the fire has not been found yet. However, the Dominican Republic’s Emergency Operations Centre (COE) and preliminary findings point towards a rapid chain of events that turned a localised blaze into a full-scale disaster.
The fire is believed to have started in one of the resort’s common areas, but the exact ignition cause has not been pinpointed yet.
Why did it spread so quickly
There were two key factors recognised by authorities which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire: flammable roofing and winds.
The resort had large areas roofed with thatch made of dried palm leaves, which looked very good but were very flammable. The resort was thus referred to by an official as a “tinderbox.”
Strong winds blowing from the coast added fuel to the fire and carried sparks to other buildings.
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2026-06-20 20:27:00
