Fire damages Ounas Pavilion grandstand in Rovaniemi ahead of Simerock festival
A fire broke out on Tuesday evening in the grandstand of the Ounas Pavilion in Rovaniemi, causing structural damage but no injuries. The blaze was extinguished by 19:30, though the cause remains under investigation.
The Lapland Rescue Department received an emergency call at approximately 18:50 reporting the fire on the east side of the Ounasjoki River. Firefighters dismantled a roughly four-meter section of the grandstand’s structures to fully extinguish the flames. On-duty fire chief Ville Rankinen confirmed that some load-bearing elements were slightly charred but noted that the grandstand remains repairable (Ilta-Sanomat, Yle).
Witnesses reported seeing two young boys fleeing the scene shortly before the fire was discovered. Markku Sorsa, who was at the Pavilion with his family, told Yle that he heard banging noises from the grandstand around 18:30, followed by smoke and flames shooting from under the eaves. He observed two boys—one on a bicycle and another running—leaving the area, while an elderly woman remained seated inside the structure, unaware of the fire outside.
The fire originated in a grandstand with a capacity of 800 people, which serves as a side stage for the upcoming Simerock festival. The event, scheduled for 7–8 August, is Lapland’s largest festival, with last year’s attendance reaching 26,000 over two days (Yle). Authorities have filed a crime report, and the Lapland Police conducted a technical investigation at the scene (Ilta-Sanomat).
While the exact cause of the fire is still unknown, Rankinen suggested that the blaze was unlikely to have started spontaneously, citing the presence of individuals near the scene (Ilta-Sanomat). The Ounas Pavilion remains a key venue for events in Rovaniemi, including the Simerock festival, which features a floating stage and a nearby boat harbour.
