Fire-damaged Vantaa apartment block to be repaired, not demolished

A severely fire-damaged residential building in Vantaa’s Pähkinärinne district will be repaired, contrary to earlier police reports suggesting demolition, public broadcaster Yle reports.

The six-storey apartment block, owned by Vantaa’s municipal housing company VAV, suffered extensive smoke and water damage in an early March fire. Initial police statements had incorrectly indicated the building would be torn down.

“Neither we nor the insurance company have proposed demolition—this was a misunderstanding,” VAV Group CEO Mirka Saarholma told Yle. She estimated repair costs in the “hundreds of thousands, if not millions” of euros.

The building at 26 Pähkinärinteentie contains 30 apartments around a single stairwell. VAV is now coordinating with insurers to assess the scope of repairs, though the timeline remains unclear.

All displaced residents have been rehoused About 60 residents lost their homes in the blaze. While VAV initially feared housing shortages, Saarholma confirmed all affected households have now secured new accommodations—either through VAV’s other properties or alternative arrangements.

Residents received relocation support from VAV and the Red Cross, including volunteer moving assistance and transport. “They’ve been very grateful for the help,” Saarholma noted.

The fire, which spread explosively through the stairwell, claimed five lives: two adults (aged 35–40) and three children (3, 6, and 8). Police confirmed all victims were from the same family.