Major fire at Nordkalk factory in Parainen extinguished – operational equipment destroyed

A large fire at a Nordkalk factory building in Parainen, southwestern Finland, has been fully extinguished, authorities confirmed on Monday. The blaze, which broke out on Sunday evening, destroyed operational production equipment, though the company stated the incident will not immediately disrupt its operations.

According to the rescue services and Nordkalk, the last remaining hotspots were brought under control on Monday. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire originated in a compressor room inside a decommissioned factory building, though the exact cause remains unknown.

The building was not in active use but contained fully functional machinery ready for production, said Jussi Puustinen, Nordkalk’s safety director. “The space was not in production use but was maintained in operational readiness,” he explained. “The equipment was functional and prepared for potential use.”

Flames engulfed the industrial area on Sunday evening, prompting a hazard warning due to toxic smoke. The alert was lifted early Monday morning at 6 AM. Nordkalk stated that while the fire will not immediately impact operations, restoring the facility to working order will take time.

Rescue crews and company representatives are currently inspecting the site before the building is formally handed back to Nordkalk. The fire began shortly before 8 PM on Sunday.