Shortly after two o’clock on the night of Wednesday, there was an alarm about a fire in a so-called functional house, which the emergency services describe as a laundry room and a garbage room in Hallunda outside Stockholm.
Fully developed fire
The building, which is estimated to be approximately 50 square meters, was fully engulfed in flames when the emergency services arrived. By then the fire had also spread to the adjacent 50-metre-long apartment building with two floors and two gates.
– It has then also reached the ceiling in the residential building. There is a concrete facade and concrete joists between the uppermost apartments, and the roof construction is made of wood, so it was decided not to add water – it will only cause more damage, says Roger Magnusson, officer on duty at Södertörn’s fire brigade.
Situation under control
Instead, they let the roof burn off while the apartments were guarded and all residents evacuated.
Just after 04:00, Magnusson states that the situation is under control as the fire has subsided considerably and the apartments are deemed to have survived okay.
– The apartments seem to have done quite well, he says.
One person was slightly injured by fire smoke and had to be treated by paramedics at the scene.
The emergency services estimate that they will be on site some time into the morning.