Greenhouse fire in Turku destroys thousands of poinsettias ahead of Christmas market

A greenhouse fire on Friday morning in Turku’s Paimalassa is believed to have been caused by a damaged electrical cabinet, according to Jali Murto, the owner of Huiskula Garden. The blaze destroyed approximately 40,000 poinsettias, which accounts for about one-third of the company’s annual production.

While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, Murto suspects the electrical cabinet might be to blame. “The fire started in the corridor between the greenhouses. Remnants of the electrical cabinet remain, but it has been mostly incinerated,” he said.

Despite the significant loss, Murto reassured that there will not be a shortage of poinsettias for the Christmas flower market. He noted that Finland produces about 1.3 million poinsettias annually. “Hopefully, we can source replacement poinsettias from other growers. We will likely have to rely on imported poinsettias as well,” he added. The estimated value of the lost poinsettias stands at around €200,000, with plans to restart production in the next three months.

Murto expressed hope that the greenhouses could be restored and operational by January, allowing them to resume normal operations in time for the upcoming season. He pointed out that the fire was detected quickly, which helped minimize damages. “We had staff on-site, and fortunately, they were on a coffee break. We managed to call emergency services about ten minutes after the fire broke out. If it had occurred at night, when no one was here, it would have taken longer to report it.”