Fire in Oulu apartment building investigated as aggravated vandalism
A fire broke out in an apartment building in Oulu’s Kaukovainio district on Monday evening, prompting a large emergency response and leading police to suspect arson. The incident is being investigated as aggravated vandalism, according to the Northern Ostrobothnia Police Department (Iltalehti).
The emergency center received a report of the fire at 20:21, with initial reports indicating a significant amount of smoke in the building’s stairwell. Multiple emergency units, including the rescue department, police, and ambulances, were dispatched to the scene (Iltalehti, Ilta-Sanomat).
Upon arrival, the first police patrol observed thick smoke emanating from an apartment on the first floor into the stairwell. A person was found inside the burning apartment and was evacuated by the rescue department before being transported to the hospital for treatment (Iltalehti). Ilta-Sanomat reports that one ambulance left the scene with its emergency lights activated.
The fire was quickly contained, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the three-story building. However, the affected apartment sustained extensive damage (Iltalehti). Witnesses at the scene described light-colored smoke rising from the building, which also emitted a pungent odor across the area (Ilta-Sanomat).
The building is located in a densely populated apartment complex, and a large number of bystanders gathered to observe the situation (Ilta-Sanomat). The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with police treating it as a deliberate act.