Tragedy in Warsaw: Four Dead After Van Fire Spreads to Shooting Range in Ursynów

Four people died and at least two others were injured after a fire broke out Saturday afternoon at 4 Migdałowa Street in Warsaw's Ursynów district, when a van ignited and flames rapidly spread to an adjacent building housing a shooting range under renovation. The fire brigade received the first alert shortly after 14:00 local time, according to Polsat News. The deaths were confirmed by the Warsaw police spokesperson in an interview with TVP Info and by Captain Jan Bentkowski, a representative of the Warsaw fire service, in a conversation with the newspaper Fakt. The fire engulfed the premises of the Natpoll company, spreading through what firefighters described as the building's internal shaft — a courtyard enclosed on four sides. Among the victims were people who had been inside the building as well as individuals in or near the vehicle, according to TVN24.

Five fire units and an air ambulance deployed to the scene Five units of the State Fire Service responded to the incident, along with a helicopter of the Air Ambulance Service, which landed at the scene, TVN24 reported. Two people remained under the care of medics at the scene, with their condition still being assessed at the time of reporting, according to Super Express. A firefighter cited by Super Express said that as of that point, no decision had been made regarding their hospitalization. Earlier reports from some outlets cited higher numbers of injured — TVN24's initial report mentioned five people transported to hospital, while Warszawa Nasze Miasto reported six injured — but the most consistent and later-confirmed figure across multiple sources placed two people under active medical care following the confirmation of four fatalities. A mechanical ladder was also deployed during the operation, according to Warszawa Nasze Miasto. Firefighters brought the fire under control and declared it extinguished, though operations at the scene continued as crews conducted a thorough search of the burned premises.

No weapons found inside the renovated shooting range A key finding from the scene concerned the shooting range itself, which firefighters confirmed contained no weapons at the time of the fire. „The shooting range was under renovation, so there were no weapons there.” — unnamed firefighter via Super Express The fire spread within the building's internal courtyard area, described by a firefighter cited by Super Express as "the building's shaft, that is, the courtyard between four walls." Customers and employees of a Biedronka supermarket located within the same building were evacuated during the incident, according to Warszawa Nasze Miasto, which cited accounts from people in the area. The cause of the fire had not been established as of the time of reporting, and the circumstances of the tragedy were said to be under investigation by the relevant services. A firefighter cited by Super Express confirmed that a thorough search of the burned room was still underway.

Ursynów fire scene still active as investigation begins Ursynów is one of 18 administrative districts of Warsaw, located on the left bank of the Vistula river. The area was incorporated into the city in 1951 and borders the districts of Wilanów, Mokotów, and Włochy, as well as the municipalities of Piaseczno, Konstancin-Jeziorna, Raszyn, and Leszno. The fire at Migdałowa Street represented one of the most deadly urban fire incidents in Warsaw in recent memory, with four confirmed fatalities at a single address. Smoke plumes rising above the housing estate were visible in recordings from the area around Migdałowa Street, as noted by Polsat News. The press team of the capital city fire brigade confirmed the death toll to Super Express directly. Firefighters from the Municipal Headquarters of the State Fire Service of the Capital City of Warsaw coordinated the response, with the duty officer of the press department providing information to multiple outlets throughout the afternoon. The full circumstances of how the van fire originated and why it spread so rapidly to the adjacent building remained under investigation, with no official cause announced as of the time of reporting.