Riga – A fire broke out yesterday evening on the sixth floor of a residential building on Ganību Dambis, resulting in the evacuation of approximately 30 residents. The blaze, sparked by an electrical overload, caused significant damage to a balcony and a portion of the building’s wall.
Balcony Fire Prompts Evacuation, Investigation Underway
Residents were alerted to the danger by an explosion and quickly evacuated as flames spread.
- A fire erupted on the sixth floor of an apartment building on Ganību Dambis.
- The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical overload in decorative lighting.
- Approximately 30 residents were safely evacuated from the building.
- Firefighters faced challenges accessing the affected area due to parked cars.
One resident, living on the seventh floor, recounted hearing an explosion and seeing sparks. “I ran down to the terrace and saw it was on fire. I grabbed my clothes and the child and ran down,” they said.
The building’s owner, an elderly man, attempted to extinguish the flames with water after strings of lamps exploded, igniting nearby plants. He enlisted the help of a neighbor, but the fire quickly reignited.
Vyacheslav Pankratovs, a platoon commander with the VUGD (State Fire and Rescue Service), explained that firefighters encountered difficulties accessing the building due to congested parking, hindering their ability to deploy a ladder to reach the fifth floor.
What causes balcony fires in apartment buildings? Balcony fires are often triggered by improperly stored flammable materials, faulty electrical wiring, or unattended heat sources like grills or candles.
The owner stated, “I tried to pour water on it. I called the neighbor who was one floor below. We both tried to put out the flames. They died down a little.”
More details are available in the attached video:
