A major fire broke out on Tuesday evening at a warehouse in the Pantelimon Road area of Bucharest. Due to the intense smoke, four Ro-Alert messages were issued advising residents from several sectors, including Ilfov, to avoid the fire area and keep doors and windows closed.
What is known about the fire
The building engulfed in flames is the Antrefrig warehouse located on Fântânica Street in the Pantelimon Road area, according to the Sector 2 Announcements Facebook page.
There is heavy smoke and the air in the fire area is unbreathable.
The flames spread rapidly, causing a dense column of smoke visible from a great distance. Initially, firefighters responded with 10 fire trucks.
How firefighters are responding
According to the Bucharest-Ilfov Emergency Situations Inspectorate (ISU), the intervention team has been reinforced, and on-site, 22 fire trucks, the Special Rescue Detachment, and a robot-equipped fire truck are involved.
Over 120 firefighters are currently working at the fire scene.
"Near the fire-affected hall, there are other storage spaces just 10 meters away, and residences are located 30-40 meters away. Our efforts are focused on localizing the fire and preventing its spread to other areas. There are no injuries reported as a result of this event, and there are over 20 fire trucks at the scene for extinguishing," said Daniel Vasile, the spokesperson for ISU Bucharest-Ilfov, on Antena 3.
ISU Chief Raed Arafat stated on Antena 3 that there is a risk of the fire spreading to nearby halls: "There is no major danger, the stored products are food, so there is currently no risk of explosion or harm to the population, except for the smoke. A Ro-Alert message was sent to advise the population to close windows and avoid smoke exposure. It is a prolonged issue; the halls do not extinguish quickly. The fire is mainly at the roof level but also affects the interior food items."
He mentioned that efforts are being made to localize the fire: "The risk of spreading to the cooling substances area, namely ammonia, is lower; there is a vehicle protecting those installations, and now the focus is on localizing the fire, preventing its spread to other halls, and, of course, its extinguishing. (...) At this point, there is no talk of an explosion risk; the nearest buildings are 100-150 meters away from the fire scene."
The Bucharest Prefect, Mihai Toader, stated that there is no risk of explosion or chemical accident, but there is a significant amount of smoke emissions. "The majority of the deposits are food products, so there is no risk of explosion or chemical accident, but the major problem now, as a risk, is the emitted smoke," said Toader, as quoted by Agerpres.
4 Ro-Alert messages
The massive smoke cloud gradually spread over several sectors of the Capital and reached Ilfov County.
A Ro-Alert message was issued advising the population to avoid the area and follow the firefighters' instructions to ensure the intervention's smooth progress.
"We are intervening to extinguish a fire that occurred on the roof of a storage space in Sector 2. There is a significant amount of smoke emissions, so a message was issued to inform and warn the population through the RO-Alert system," stated ISU Bucharest-Ilfov.
Due to the intense smoke, a new Ro-Alert message was issued within a 2-kilometer radius, as reported by Mediafax.
Under the influence of wind gusts, there is a risk of smoke entering nearby residences. Firefighters urge residents to close doors and windows, and traffic participants to facilitate the movement of fire trucks.
Around 10:10 PM, a third Ro-Alert message was issued for sectors 3 and 4, followed by a fourth alert message a few minutes later for the mentioned sectors, as well as sector 5 and Ilfov County.
Which areas are most affected by the smoke cloud and recommendations for the population
According to the National Environmental Protection Agency (ANMAP), the particulate concentrations in the atmosphere reached a level seven times higher than the maximum permissible level at the Commerce Registry area station.
"The entire Bucharest is affected tonight by the smoke emissions caused by a violent fire that broke out at 6 Hobita Alley, Sector 2, at the Antefrig warehouse, at the sandwich panel cooling hall, and at several nearby annexes. The effects were initially felt in sectors 2, 3, 4, and 5, and later the smoke spread to sectors 1 and 6 due to the northeast wind blowing, shifting the smoke cloud towards the west.
The nearest monitoring stations to the fire area B3 - Mihai Bravu, B16 - Basarabia Blvd, and B13 - Veranda Mall continuously monitored the particulate concentrations, recording exceeding levels of PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentrations, however, the highest exceedance was recorded at station B16 on Basarabia Blvd, in the Commerce Registry area, where values reached 350 micrograms/mc, seven times higher than the maximum permissible level," stated the National Agency for Environment and Protected Areas (ANMAP) in a press release quoted by News.ro.
According to the cited source, the most affected area remains Mega Mall – Fântânica - Armenian Cemetery, covered by a "very dense and very toxic" smoke.
"The Environmental Department Bucharest mobile lab (photo, ed.) is near the fire area, next to Mega Mall, to capture additional data as needed," mentioned ANMAP.
Due to the northeast wind blowing, the smoke cloud moved westward, extending beyond sectors 2, 3, 4, and 5 and now affecting sectors 1 and 6, as announced by the Ministry of Environment on Facebook.
Recommendations for the population
The Ministry of Environment, in coordination with the Ministry of Health and DSU, recommends:
- Avoid outdoor activities in the affected areas;
- Keep windows and doors closed, stop ventilation and air conditioning systems that can bring smoke indoors;
- If going outside is absolutely necessary, protect your nose and mouth with moistened textiles;
- Vulnerable individuals (children, elderly, people with respiratory or cardiac conditions) strictly avoid exposure;
- If experiencing respiratory discomfort symptoms, call 112 immediately.
- The Ministry of Environment, along with the Bucharest County Environmental Department and the National Environmental Guard, continuously monitor air quality. The mobile lab has been deployed to the Vatra Luminoasă area to capture real-time additional data.
Additionally, the Sector 2 City Hall issued a warning message:
"We inform you that, following a fire on the roof of a storage space located on Fântânica Street (Antrefrig area), significant smoke emissions are recorded. For your safety, we recommend:
- Keep windows and doors closed;
- Limited movement in the affected area;
- Immediately call the emergency number 112 in case of respiratory problems or any emergency situation;
- Stay calm and act prudently.
Emergency teams from the Emergency Situations Inspectorate are on-site, and the Sector 2 City Hall has ordered the reinforcement of intervention resources by mobilizing tankers belonging to the Urban Mobility Department and the sanitation operator."