“We’re being told the newsroom is burning. I’m running to the site. Damage is only material. Firefighters are on the spot. Journalism will keep on moving,” wrote Cristian Alarcón, director of Anfibia indie magazine, breaking the news on X in the early hours of Tuesday.

Buenos Aires City Police confirmed to the Herald that firefighters and special unit Befer arrived at the Anfibia newsroom at 7:15 a.m. in downtown Buenos Aires, following reports of smoke coming out of the windows from the 11th floor. The building was evacuated and nobody was injured. The operation took just over an hour.

“Firefighters say the fire started with a short circuit on the roof. The destruction of our beloved newsroom is absolute,” Alarcón later posted on his social media. Police did not confirm the cause of the fire to the Herald.

Los bomberos consideran que el fuego se inició por un cortocircuito en el techo. La destrucción de nuestra redacción amada es total. @revistaanfibia ha superado crisis sucesivas a lo largo de 12 años. Cómo todes —con E. Lo reconstruiremos juntes. Y haremos periodismo.

Anfibia is a digital publication that launched in 2012 in collaboration with San Martín National University. The magazine is known for long-form investigative pieces that blend academia with journalism, also running a virtual journalism master’s degree as well as workshops and a podcast.

Readers and colleagues flocked in support, with a campaign already underway collecting donations for the refurbishment of the newsroom. “Early in the morning the new [Anfibia] newsroom caught fire,” wrote editor-in-chief Sebastián Ortega on his X account. “Scenes are heart-breaking, fire went through it all. Thanks for messages of love and support.”

The work at Anfibia hasn’t stopped, with Alarcón later sharing an image of the team working from a nearby cafe. “Anfibia is a concept; concepts can’t turn into ash,” he wrote.

You may also be interested in: Government shuts Télam websites and sends workers on leave