On Tuesday, one section of Bruninieku Street in the center of Riga was closed as a large number of firefighters and other emergency services were working at the address.
One of the two-story wooden buildings was on fire, and the flames had spread over several hundred square meters, reports the Degpunktā program (TV3).
Firefighters were the first to arrive at the house on Bruninieku Street, 68. Noticing the smoke and flames, which were mostly concentrated in the yard of the building, three residents evacuated the house on their own.
Other residents arrived at the address just as the rescuers were actively fighting the spread of the fire. At the cordon, the Degpunktā crew met a woman living on the second floor of the building. She indicated that the cause of the fire might have been an ignition near the fence, from where the flames climbed up the wooden structure.
"One cigarette — and it’s all over," she said.
This building contains 12 apartments. Firefighters rescued a cat from the woman’s apartment, which had been left alone in the smoke. Now the four-legged pet is waiting with the woman’s family for an assessment of the damage caused inside the premises.
Andris Kuksiks, commander of the 3rd unit of the Riga State Fire and Rescue Service, noted that the flames engulfed the building's stairwell, the first and second floors, as well as the attic and roof. A total of 380 square meters were on fire. The fire spread quickly; however, the call was received in a timely manner, and the firefighters managed to localize the fire.
Before the arrival of the State Fire and Rescue Service, three people evacuated. In response to the resident's gratitude for saving the cat, he said, "We are happy to help. It’s our job!"
A total of eight fire engines, two aerial ladders, and more than 30 rescuers worked at the scene.
