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FIRE

Smoke warning for south Stockholm after blaze

Emergency services warned residents of southern Stockholm on Thursday afternoon that toxic smoke was spreading across the area, following a violent blaze that torched apartments throughout the morning.

Published: 1 November 2012 12:54 CET
Smoke warning for south Stockholm after blaze

“All smoke is poisonous and dangerous. Close all the windows and doors and stay inside if it is possible,” said Robert Eriksson of the Stockholm fire brigade to the TT news agency.

The fire, which started on a balcony in Skarpnäck on Thursday morning, spread throughout a set of apartment blocks, with emergency services fighting until after midday to extinguish the flames.

CLICK HERE FOR A GALLERY OF PICTURES FROM THE BLAZE

The fire broke out around 7am, however no one was in the flat at the time, and no one has been injured seriously.

40 people have been evacuated from their homes, most of whom are taking shelter at a local high school as the smoke continues to spread.

The fire spread through the attics of the apartment block, eventually damaging the roof and attic beyond repair.

Thirteen ambulances and thirteen fire engines were on the scene throughout the morning, as well as one ambulance helicopter.

TT/The Local/og

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FIRE

Why have there been so many fires in Copenhagen this year?

Thursday’s fire at Denmark’s tax ministry follows a blaze at the historic Old Stock Exchange and several fires at the headquarters of pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk on the outskirts of Copenhagen.

Published: 27 June 2024 15:11 CEST
Why have there been so many fires in Copenhagen this year?

A fire broke out on Thursday morning on the roof of the building which houses Denmark’s Tax Ministry in central Copenhagen, which fire services in the capital were able to put out shortly afterwards.

The Tax Ministry fire is at least the fifth high-profile blaze in and around Copenhagen since April, following three at different buildings owned by pharma giant Novo Nordisk and the devastating fire which turned parts of the historic Old Stock Exchange (Børsen) to rubble.

The high number of fires occurring within a relatively short period appears to be down to no more than chance, Jens Kastvig, an expert with the Danish Society of Engineers said to newswire Ritzau.

“There’s always a risk that a fire can break out in a building,” Kastvig said, noting that the average annual fire rate is around one per 100,000 to 150,000 square metre of building.

“That could be anything from a smaller to a larger fire,” he said.

Kastvig said that he initially guessed the Tax Ministry fire was the result of renovation work.

Both Børsen and the Novo Nordisk buldings were also undergoing renovations at the time of their fires. This increases the risk of fire breaking out in a more flammable material such as bitumen waterproofing, or a fire otherwise related to the ongoing work.

No renovations were ongoing at the Tax Ministry however, the building’s owner ATP Ejendomme has confirmed.

“The fire services are busy at the moment. But I hope it’s a coincidence,” Kastvig said.

Tim Ole Sørensen of the Copenhagen Fire Service, Hovedstadens Beredskab, said on Thursday that there was no suggestion that the fires were related.

“There’s nothing that indicates any form of connection at all to us, and we are talking about very different businesses and types of building,” he said.

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