An explosion in the burn pit of the Granada munitions factory rocked the neighborhood of El Ferg in Granada this morning. As if it were an earthquake, neighbors called 112 thirty times and the plant, which employs about 260 people, was evacuated and filled with specialists. Granada Digital reported at least five injuries, two due to hearing problems and three due to minor injuries.
CSG Group, the owner of FMG, traced the blast to the factory’s demilitarization zone, where old, damaged or unusable ammunition is removed. The company also does not expect the accident to have long-term consequences for the plant’s operations. Because yes, they are a key supplier of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the 2014 war following protests against President Viktor Yanukovych.
event This Friday at 8:58, 112 began receiving calls about an explosion in El Ferg, the Granada neighborhood where the Granada Munitions Factory (FMG) is located. There were about thirty. The explosion occurred in a burn pit, where the remains of gunpowder and explosives had been destroyed, and other nearby residents felt tremors similar to the earthquake. Around 9:30 am, the National Police, Tedux operators, civil security, judicial, scientific and underground police were already there.
Seventeen days ago. We also remember that on October 13 a factory truck lost a mortar shell. It was on a neighborhood street. The board then activated the pre-emergency state, police pointed out a poorly secured load, and the company launched an internal investigation.
And you can see the photos: a column of smoke rose after the explosion, a small fire broke out in the mountains and a protection perimeter of several kilometers was established. Meanwhile, the factory has been evacuated. Several workers received treatment for hearing problems, with no serious injuries reported. And the reason is under investigation. One of the first versions points to a controlled burn that got out of hand, although this has not been confirmed.
Photo of the explosion.
What is made of El Ferg? The FMG Granada company is currently a comprehensive manufacturer of propellants, single- and double-base propellant charges, gunpowder, mortar grenades, and artillery and tank ammunition. It is the only Spanish car ammunition factory and sells mainly to European and NATO countries. That is, a prolonged interruption of its activity will have serious consequences on the current rehabilitation process.
Seven centuries of gunpowder. The company’s website boasts more than 700 years of history of manufacturing gunpowder “uninterruptedly” since 1324. This is not a lie, but it is worth mentioning: this is the first recorded use of gunpowder in the peninsula, when Sultan Ismail first took the fortress of Huescar. The El Fargu building, for its part, was built in 1786, and the chronicler Valladar already noted in 1908 that there is no indication of an official Nasrid origin, but only of gunpowder production at the Alhambra.
In fact, the current company was founded in 2019. But if we listen to the books, the place was chosen because of the Ayandama irrigation canal, the slope of which moved the wheels of the mills. In 1812, the French, after leaving Granada, burned the same mills. The first batch of smokeless gunpowder came out in Spain in 1897. What’s more, a pasodoble premiered in 1906 in honor of the factory, created for the Banda de Obreros Polvoristas, a troupe inspired by King Alfonso XIII’s visit. But less dancing and more history: In 1936, several of its workers were executed in retaliation for several bombings.
From Santa Barbara to Prague. Many hands went through the ammunition. In 1960, the deed of the company was held and managed by the State of Santa Barbara. It was privatized in 2001, when it was acquired by General Dynamics, and FMG was established as an independent company in 2019. On May 21, 2020, Money and Bullets changed direction: it was sold to the Slovak MSM Group with the approval of the Council of Ministers. MSM depends on the Czechoslovak Group (CSG), owned by Michael Stronad, 34, whose father started a business in Soviet military hardware in the 1990s.
Growth from Ukraine. As expected, the war in Ukraine has completely changed the factory situation. FMG tripled its workforce from 125 employees in 2020 and had a turnover of around 163 million in 2024, a 126% increase over the previous year. The same year it announced an expansion of nearly 50 million. The company estimates that 26% of its entire operation is sold to Ukraine.
CSG entered 6,741 million in 2025 and debuted in Amsterdam on January 23 with a valuation of 25,000 million, 3,800 raised and 2,550 Strnad, the largest defense IPO ever recorded. A week ago, company representatives brought their best howitzers and most advanced products to the annual exhibition of the Association of the United States Army. “Shame on the wars and scoundrels who give them,” said Julio Anguita in the wake of his son’s murder.
NATO suspension. On July 31, 2025, the NATO Procurement Agency (NSPA) suspended FMG from its tender for “serious allegations” of unacceptable practices. The measure is part of an investigation into the agency on suspicion of bribery and leaks, and also reaches into the Israeli Elbit system with the largest portfolio of PULS systems (multipurpose rocket launchers) and battle tanks. It went public in March 2026 and was not listed in the IPO prospectus.
CSG denies this: it maintains that its audit found no irregularities, that the suspension is unfounded and that FMG can continue selling directly to member countries. A few weeks later, a bearish report questioned the group’s production capacity, describing it as baseless. In May, stocks took a dive, though they have since recovered.
Whatever the case, the controversy has no connection to the explosion, and importantly, no employees were seriously injured. The cause, extent of material loss and final balance remain to be elucidated to predict whether the plant will stop its activity. The company is yet to issue an official statement.
Picture | FMG
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