Apartment building in Viljandi catches fire after gas explosion

A four-storey apartment building caught fire in the southern Estonian town of Viljandi on Friday evening after a gas cylinder exploded on one of the balconies. Photo: Elmo Riig

A four-storey apartment building caught fire in the southern Estonian town of Viljandi on Friday evening after a gas cylinder exploded on one of the balconies, with rescuers continuing to put out the fire late into the night.

Rescue Board spokesperson Henrik Veenpere said that, according to preliminary information, a gas cylinder exploded on the balcony of one of the apartments on the upper floor and people were evacuated both from the building in question and the adjacent building.

The building was so badly damaged in the accident that, according to the police, residents will not be able to enter the building for the next few days. According to the police, all residents who needed a place to stay for the night could turn to the Mannimae guest house, where they would be offered a room. It is also possible to bring pets there.

Meelis Lill, head of proceedings at the Viljandi police station, said that people must not enter the 14 Toome Street building, as it is dangerous. Both fire and water caused damage. According to Lill, a Viljandi County bus was parked near the building for the residents' use, where they could keep warm and which would also take the residents to the accommodation. However, those who wished could go to the Mannimae guest house by themselves. However, several residents found a place to stay with relatives or friends.

The fire broke out in the building at around 7 p.m. on Friday. According to nearby witnesses, first there was a very loud explosion and then another one. Then some large red thing was seen flying through the air and immediately afterwards a flame rose into the sky. Since the building had a gable roof with a wooden structure, under which there were apartments, the fire spread very quickly under the stone roof, and when the rescuers arrived, the building was burning with an open flame.

Problems were caused also by the fact that the rescuers do not have a ladder truck in Viljandi County and the required vehicle came from Tartu. The vehicle arrived an hour and a half after the fire had started. By that time, the larger flames had been extinguished and the last flames that had penetrated the roof were also extinguished with the help of the ladder truck. Extinguishing work inside the building continued late into the evening.

In the initial phase of the fire, the rescuers focused on preventing the fire from spreading to neighboring houses. Two large residential buildings had been built in such a way that they were connected with the house in flames, but the rescuers managed to keep the fire away from them.

At the scene, paramedics treated a couple of people who needed supplemental oxygen and were taken to the hospital for a medical check-up. No one is known to have been seriously injured.

Rescuers from the Viljandi, Suure-Jaani, Mustla, Kopu and Annelinn brigades worked to extinguish the fire.

It was also announced that rescuers would check the safety of the apartment building on Saturday morning and then decide whether the residents can return there or not.

The fire in the apartment building on at 14 Toome Street was finally extinguished 48 minutes after midnight, after which the building remained under surveillance by a security company.