Fires increase in North Karelia as five fatalities reported in Finland

Several significant fires have recently erupted in North Karelia, Finland. Most notably, a residential house was destroyed in Ilomantsi due to a fire last Saturday. On Thursday, one person tragically lost their life in a fire at a row house in Juuas. The causes of both fires are still under investigation. Fire Chief Lari Parkkinen from the North Karelia Rescue Services confirmed that the recent fires are unrelated to each other. However, there has been a noticeable increase in building fires this autumn. According to Parkkinen, the rescue services have responded to 17 incidents classified as building fires during September and October.

This year, five people have died in fires within the region, which is an alarming statistic. Parkkinen remarked, “It’s a sad record. Normally, the number of fire-related fatalities in the region ranges from zero to three per year.”

The reasons for the recent fires have been typical, including short safety distances, sparks from heating systems, and electrical devices. In September, a brick house in Kiihtelysvaara was completely engulfed in flames, allegedly due to a fire that started from an ATV parked in an attached shed. At the beginning of October, a fire in a Joensuu home is believed to have originated from a cigarette case on the porch.

On Wednesday, a room in a care home in Outokumpu was destroyed in a fire that police suspect was intentionally set. Parkkinen emphasized that the building materials have little impact on how a fire ignites, stating, “If a fire starts inside a building, the contents will burn the same way.” He also highlighted the importance of working smoke detectors in buildings and recommended checking the condition of heating appliances. “It’s wise to ask a chimney sweep to come if you haven’t had one yet,” he advised.