In Kandava, a fire at a woodworking enterprise yesterday engulfed an area of about 300 square meters.
Both local residents and firefighters believe that strong winds contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, reports the program Degpunktā (TV3).
Firefighters from seven towns and villages in Kurzeme and Zemgale arrived at the scene with wailing sirens. The roof of the building caught fire over a significant area, and rescuers had to make considerable efforts to deal with the flames.
The commander of the State Fire and Rescue Service post in Kandava, Gatis Celms, said:
"The roof of the building was on fire — over an area of 300 square meters. This was a high-risk fire, and to safely carry out the extinguishing work, firefighters worked in breathing apparatuses."
While the firefighting efforts were underway, local residents gathered nearby to watch the events unfold.
According to Kandava residents, initially, only a small amount of smoke was visible on the roof of the building, but the wind quickly turned it into a large-scale fire.
"I was sitting on the second floor and thought — when the wind blows, usually sand flies. But no, something suspicious. I looked — and that’s it! It was burning very intensely," said a local resident.
Other witnesses noted that they initially saw only a smoking roof, but soon all emergency services began to arrive at the scene.
In addition to the strong winds, firefighters had to consider the danger inside the building — the materials present could contribute to the spread of the fire.
Gatis Celms: "(DP: Were there wooden materials in the building that complicated the extinguishing?) The wood in the production building was saved — while extinguishing, it was simultaneously doused with water from the inside."
The roof and the building itself were saved after nearly seven hours of battling the flames. Fortunately, there were no casualties — all workers noticed the fire in time and managed to evacuate.
The owner of the enterprise, Normunds, noted that the likely cause of the ignition was a spark blown by the wind.
"From the wind — a spark… It was blown, and the wind did its job. (DP: Was something being burned there?) From the boiler room. Now we are figuring it out together, looking. We contacted the insurers, as well as the firefighters-rescuers. (DP: Is the damage significant or can it be restored?) Of course, everything can be restored. The main thing is that there are no injuries! Things are just things, everything will be fine!"
