Helsinki apartment fire leaves resident trapped for over an hour awaiting rescue

A woman in Helsinki’s Kalasatama district waited more than 70 minutes for evacuation as thick smoke filled her apartment during a fire that destroyed the building’s upper floors, public broadcaster Yle reports.

Maarit Savolainen told Yle she first noticed fire trucks arriving near her home on Saturday but assumed they were responding to another location. She soon smelled smoke and called emergency services, who instructed her to stay inside, seal doors with wet towels, and cover her face.

“There was so much smoke I couldn’t see out the windows,” Savolainen said. “It was terrifying not knowing if anyone would come for me.”

Firefighters broke through her door and evacuated her and her two dogs. The blaze had severely damaged the roof structure, leaving apartments on the other side of the fire door uninhabitable. Savolainen’s unit suffered smoke damage but remained structurally intact.

Helsinki Rescue Services extinguished the fire early Sunday after hours of work. Property manager Lumo is now assessing damage and plans to hold a meeting for residents, though no date has been set.