Fire in Helsinki apartment building delays gym opening, residents displaced

A fire that broke out in a residential building in Helsinki’s Kalasatama district on Saturday has forced the postponement of a new gym’s planned Monday opening and left several residents temporarily unable to return to their homes, Yle reports.

Construction firm YIT, which now owns the building originally developed by Lemminkäinen in 2016, stated there were no identified fire safety deficiencies during construction or final inspections. The company told Yle in an email that it takes safety issues seriously and is cooperating with authorities investigating the blaze. “At this stage, it is too early to draw conclusions,” the statement read.

The Ole.fit gym, operated under license by Fit Global, had prepared for six months to open its doors on Monday. CEO Janne Virtanen said the facility suffered minor water damage from firefighting efforts but remained largely intact. Authorities later restricted access due to debris risks from the damaged roof. A new opening date has not been set, though members can use another nearby location in the meantime.

Resident Teemu Lemetti, whose second-floor apartment escaped major damage, described water seeping through floors and smoke damage in hallways. Unable to stay in his home, he spent Saturday night in a hotel and was retrieving belongings from a storage locker on Monday. “Of course, you’d want to get back to your own place as soon as possible,” he told Yle.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.