A major fire in the Vainode municipality destroyed the apartment of a large family in just a few hours. Eight people were left homeless, and only the most essential items could be salvaged from the burning house.
The fire broke out around 2:30 PM in one of the apartments of a multi-story building, reports the show Degpunktā (TV3). The first to notice the fire was a child who was at home with his siblings. At that moment, the mother was outside the house.
Fire crews arrived at the scene, but by that time the fire was already rapidly spreading through the apartment. The firefighting efforts lasted about four hours.
When the fire was completely extinguished, almost nothing was left of the apartment where the family with five children had lived for several years. The flames destroyed furniture, appliances, clothing, and other belongings. The family's pet cat also perished in the fire.
According to neighbors, at the time of the incident, four children were at home, while the mother was away with one of the children. Fortunately, no family members were injured.
As a result of the fire, not only the apartment where the fire started was severely damaged. The doors of several apartments were damaged, part of the electrical wiring in the stairwell melted, and the walls and ceilings were covered with a thick layer of soot.
Firefighters also had to rescue residents of the upper floor. Using breathing masks, two elderly women were evacuated from the smoke-filled premises. One of them, who lived directly above the fire's origin, was taken to the hospital due to smoke inhalation.
According to preliminary data, the cause of the fire could have been a refrigerator located in the central part of the apartment. However, specialists will only be able to make final conclusions after conducting an investigation.
There is also good news for the family: the housing was insured. While assessors determine the extent of the damage and the causes of the fire, the family will temporarily be able to stay with relatives — the mother of the homeowner has an apartment in the neighboring building.
Specialists note that having insurance in such situations can significantly ease the recovery process after a tragedy. After all procedures are completed, the family will either be offered equivalent housing or receive monetary compensation in accordance with the terms of the insurance contract.
Right now, the main thing for the family is to cope with the aftermath of the fire and start rebuilding their lives almost from scratch.
