Fire damages two houses in Chiajna near Bucharest, five people given medical help

The fire and the response

A fire broke out on Sunday, 8 November, at two houses on Grigore Eremia street in Chiajna, Ilfov county, close to Bucharest. Both buildings have a ground floor and one upper level, according to the inspectorate. When the first crews reached the site, the flames were open and large volumes of smoke were being given off, with a risk that the fire could reach neighbouring properties. The Bucharest-Ilfov emergency inspectorate, ISU București-Ilfov, sent eight trucks carrying water and foam, a height-rescue vehicle, an extrication vehicle and two SMURD crews. Firefighters said the larger number of vehicles was needed to secure enough water and personnel for the job, and the trucks were fed directly from hydrants next to the site.

What the early reports said

The first reports from the early afternoon said no victims had been identified. Eduard Ștefan, a representative of ISU București-Ilfov, told Digi24 that nobody had been found inside the houses so far. He added a caveat about the situation at that point.

“Based on the information I have, no victims have been identified so far, and no people were identified inside the homes, but that information can change at any moment.”

A later update from the firefighters gave a different picture. It put the number of people given medical help at five: one person with burns to the face and four with symptoms of a panic attack. The inspectorate said it was still working to put the fire out.

Status and warnings

Ştefan said the blaze was now localised and there was no longer a risk of it spreading to other homes. Smoke was still being given off, so residents were advised not to breathe it in. No RO-ALERT message had been issued, because the smoke was not dense or intense enough to warrant one. Ștefan said the situation was under control and that crews would keep working until there were no more negative effects.

“The larger number of fire trucks was needed to ensure a fairly large amount of water, as well as the personnel needed to fight this fire.”

What remains unclear

The reports do not say what caused the fire or how many people lived in the two houses. The latest statements describe the fire as localised at both buildings, but the count of people assisted could still change, as the inspectorate itself warned.