20 41 on Wednesday night, Kharkiv municipal emergency services. A call is taken about a fire on downtown Petrovskoho street. Sixteen firecars are immediately dispatched with eight fire brigades inside, and they are on the spot within minutes. Ladders shoot up to the top of the building, and people are helped to safety. All in all, 25 persons were evacuated, and two of them saved from certain death.
According to an interview by Head of Kharkiv municipal emergency services Ihor Lupandin, the fire had been contained by 22 09. 600 sq m of loft space had been destroyed, mostly the roofing and beams, with the blaze having also penetrated into one of the apartments. Investigation are looking into the causes of the fire, with negligence and technical fault being the main versions.
The fact that the brand had started in the loft of a residential building is one shared with two other fires that flared up in Kharkiv during Wednesday in Kultury and Chernyshevskoho street. Faulty electric wires might have been to blame, with the spread of the fire aided by the dry and hot weather. Another reason could be careless handling of matches or electric equipment. While the distraught residents of Kultury and Chernyshevskoho street blame arsonists, currently there is no evidence to suspect that the fires were intentional.
Here are some guidelines on how to act in case of fire from nidirect.
