Fire set in Reykjavik apartment building entrance damages stairwell

A fire was deliberately set in the entrance of an apartment building on Kirkjustétt in Reykjavik at around 2am on Friday, mbl.is reported. Flames, thick black smoke and intense heat spread up the stairwell while residents were asleep.

Firefighters and the police technical department attended the scene. Jóhanna Arnþórsdóttir, a member of the housing association board for Kirkjustétt 7 to 13, said police remained there until around 4.30am.

“The stairwell was simply black with smoke. Not everyone managed to get out,” Jóhanna told mbl.is. She said the fire and heat were so intense that windows broke all the way up to the third floor.

The entrance and shared areas of the building suffered extensive damage. Smoke and heat spread through the stairwell, and all exterior doors will need to be replaced. The building is insured, and cleaning began after the fire, but restoring the shared areas is expected to take considerable time.

Residents were shaken, Jóhanna said, noting that families with young children live in the building. The person who started the fire and the motive remain unknown. The case is being investigated by police.