Fire investigation at Helsinki’s Oulunkylä Stadium begins amidst community mourning
The smell of smoke still hangs over the charred-black grandstand of the Oulunkylä Stadium in Helsinki. The burned grandstand has been cordoned off. The clearance of the grandstand has not yet commenced, as the police wish to investigate the fire scene first. Investigators are set to determine the cause of the fire on Monday. At this time, the authorities do not suspect criminal activity, but have not ruled it out. They anticipate that by the end of the week they may have more to report about the investigation.
The stadium was completely destroyed in the fire. A significant portion of the century-old club’s history, in the form of photographs and trophies, was lost to the flames. Gnistan, the local football club, posted a picture of a blanket on Instagram, one of the few items remaining after the fire.
On Monday afternoon, residents stopped by to see what was left of the burned grandstand. Nina Ilme was on her way to visit her mother who lives in Oulunkylä. She stopped by the fire scene because she had promised to send a picture of it to her son. “My son used to play football here, and I’ve been here to watch his games,” she said.
Karl Nieminen said he came because his sons, Erik and Klaus Pantsu, wanted to see the burned stadium. The place was familiar to them all through their children’s hobbies. Heikki and Mirja Saloranta were struck by how devastatingly the grandstand had burned. They hope that in addition to local residents, sponsors would also come to the aid of the club.
Hannu Tulla, who spent his childhood in Oulunkylä, cycled to see the burned football stadium on Saturday. “I woke up to this news on Saturday morning. It’s terrible,” he said. Tulla explained that during his childhood, the field still had natural grass. The place holds many memories for him. He has been involved with several football clubs in the capital region over the course of his life, which is why the fire touches him. “Gnistan will rise from this. This is not the end,” he said.