In Lviv on the morning of 7 September, a fire broke out in a flat on the first floor of a nine-storey residential building on Naukova Street. The report of the blaze reached rescuers at 07:32.
The fire started in the flat’s kitchen. The man who lived there initially tried to extinguish the flames himself, but left the premises because the fire was spreading rapidly along the kitchen’s wooden panelling.
When fire and rescue crews arrived at the scene, flames were bursting from the flat’s window and the dwelling was filled with toxic combustion products. Thick smoke spread through the stairwell, so at the same time as tackling the fire, rescuers began evacuating the building’s residents.
Using specialist rescue equipment, three people were brought out into the fresh air, including an elderly woman in a wheelchair. Another 10 residents from the upper floors were led down the stairs by rescuers.
The fire was contained at 07:50 and fully extinguished at 08:15. The flames destroyed household items over an area of 5 sq. m and part of the kitchen’s wooden panelling. The man who lived in the flat sustained superficial burns to his hands, sought medical attention and was taken to one of Lviv’s medical facilities.
Eight rescuers and two units of specialist equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire. Law enforcement officers are establishing the cause and circumstances of the blaze.