Fire safety tests scheduled after tragedy at Stuðlar residential home in Iceland

Following a devastating fire at the Stuðlar residential home, fire safety tests are scheduled for tomorrow before the facility can reopen. The Minister of Education and Children, Ásmundur Einar Daðason, announced that emergency accommodations for the most severe cases will be relocated.

The residential home has been closed since October 19, when a fire broke out, resulting in the death of a young boy and injuries to a staff member. At the time, eight individuals were either in emergency placement or in treatment. The building has suffered extensive damage, and only part of it will be reopened, while temporary repairs are ongoing. Emergency services will remain at Stuðlar, but additional facilities will be added.

Daðason emphasized that the situation has changed as the facility must now manage children in custody, which is a new responsibility. The emergency placement currently at Stuðlar is set to be supplemented with an additional location. “The more serious emergency placements will be moved to another site. We are examining available space for this purpose, with plans to implement it within the week,” he said.

A new residential home is also expected to open soon in Skálatún, Mosfellsbær, aimed at better separating children and young people based on the severity of their issues. It’s likely that a new long-term treatment facility for boys will also be operational in the coming weeks.

Daðason noted a rise in the number of children and adolescents facing serious behavioral or addiction issues. The Ministry of Children and Families continues to oversee these developments closely. After the fire, the head of Stuðlar, Úlfur Einarsson, was placed on indefinite leave.