Apartment fire in Rentis prompts evacuation and sends two people to hospital
Twenty-three firefighters contained a second-floor blaze on Fleming Street early Thursday, while emergency medical crews treated two residents for smoke inhalation.
Emergency response on Fleming Street
In the early morning hours of Thursday, 8 October 2026, a fire broke out inside a residential apartment in the Rentis district near Nikaia, situated within the Piraeus regional area. The Operations Center of the Hellenic Fire Service received an alert regarding the incident at approximately 5:45 local time, dispatching emergency units to a seven-story residential building located on Fleming Street, also identified in municipal reports as 20 Fleming Avenue. The blaze ignited inside a second-floor apartment and rapidly spread through the interior rooms, generating dense plumes of smoke that moved through communal corridors and stairwells. First-response teams initially arrived with 15 firefighters and five emergency vehicles, supported by a specialized aerial articulated platform truck. The Fire Service subsequently reinforced operations on site, expanding the response force to 23 firefighters and seven vehicles to bring the flames under control and prevent external spread. Fire crews successfully brought the fire under control a short time later, though personnel remained on the scene to extinguish lingering embers and ventilate smoke from the building.
- The Fire Service operations center is notified of a second-floor blaze at approximately 5:45 AM.
- Responders order upper floors cleared and rescue two trapped residents from heavy smoke.
- Twenty-three firefighters bring the flames under control and ventilate the building.
- The Piraeus arson investigation unit deploys to examine the apartment and electrical devices.
Evacuation and medical assistance
Heavy smoke concentrated on the second floor and spread into upper communal areas, compelling emergency services to conduct a precautionary evacuation of the entire residential structure. Occupants evacuated their residences and moved into the street outside as thick smoke filled interior hallways and reduced visibility. Public broadcaster ERT reported that two elderly residents became trapped inside their apartment during the event and required direct assistance from firefighters to exit safely. Paramedics from the National Center for Emergency Care (EKAV) attended to residents on the scene and transported two individuals to the hospital for precautionary medical treatment. One man suffered severe respiratory distress caused by substantial smoke inhalation, while emergency officials also recorded one minor injury among the building occupants. Firefighters conducted prolonged structural inspections throughout all seven floors to verify that no remaining tenants were trapped inside apartments or shared hallways.
Investigation into the cause of the blaze
Once the fire was extinguished, the Piraeus Arson Crimes Investigation Department deployed to the Fleming Street property to examine the burned apartment and establish the origin of the blaze. Initial accounts from the scene offered differing explanations regarding how the fire started inside the second-floor residence. The apartment owner stated to broadcaster SKAI that the fire broke out from electronic chargers that were plugged in directly next to a mattress. Meanwhile, initial reports citing public broadcaster ERT indicated that the fire began after an unattended lit cigarette fell onto a mattress and ignited. Investigators began examining the electrical installations, appliances, and charred furnishings in the apartment to determine whether an electrical malfunction or discarded smoking materials started the incident. Municipal authorities maintained a cordon around the building entrance on Thursday morning as inspectors assessed air quality and structural safety before allowing displaced residents back into their homes.
