– There is no security, no alarm, nothing. I was terrified. I took my daughter by the hand and went down the stairs, says Newen Al Saffar, who is still scarred after she and her two children had to flee their home when it caught fire.
Newen Al Saffar lived at the top of the fifth floor of the wooden house in Malmö that burned down last week. Now the first floor is completely destroyed and the attic where the fire started has been demolished.
No fire alarm or extinguishing system
In the house, there were neither fire alarms in the stairwells nor an extinguishing system. But according to today’s legislation, that is not necessary. The residents are upset that fire safety was not better.
– Some were still in there. They didn’t understand what was happening until real smoke entered the apartment. We had no fire extinguisher, nothing. It has affected us all psychologically, says Sevleta Bajric, who also lived in the wooden house in Malmö.
The law is not sufficient according to the insurance industry
Länsförsäkringar reacts to the fact that the law regarding fire safety in taller wooden buildings is not sufficient.
– You lack clear requirements and that you take into account that wood is combustible. It has a different fire load. Perhaps extinguishing systems are needed in these buildings and regulation of which materials are exposed that can be affected by fire, says Helena Klasson, fire and risk engineer Länsförsäkringar Norrbotten.
New requirements for insurance
Since the turn of the year, Länsförsäkringar has therefore introduced its own requirements for the insurance of new construction of taller wooden houses. Among other things, the requirements deal with extinguishing systems and various building engineering measures.
– But I am worried. We see such a different spread of damage and in the end maybe it will cost lives too, says Helena Klasson, risk and fire engineer Länsförsäkringar Norrbotten
Building in wood has become more common because it has several climate advantages compared to concrete.
Malmö municipal housing company, MKB, which owns the fire-ravaged house and several other wooden houses, is now awaiting the fire investigation.
– Based on what it shows, we will then see if any additional measures need to be taken even though the houses are approved, says Margareta Söderström, communications manager EIA.
One person is now in custody on suspicion of aggravated arson. For Newen al Saffar looking for a new home, building materials are important.
– Never wooden houses, no, absolutely not, says Newen Al Saffar.