Timber production plant burns down in Aegviidu
A sawmill caught fire in the town of Aegviidu, Harju County, on Wednesday, the latest in a spate of large blazes in the current heatwave, though the cause may be unrelated to the weather.
Firefighters managed to contain the fire, ensuring that other nearby buildings and a nearby gas station were not endangered.
The Alarm Center (Härirekeskus) was notified just after 1 p.m. Wednesday that a timber industry facility on Telliskivi street in Aegviidu, 60 kilometer from Tallinn, was ablaze. According to initial reports, the firm's employees had already evacuated the building.
The Rescue Board (Päästeamet) call-out was categorized at the highest level, since the facility was burning with open flames and the proximity of the nearby residential buildings and an Alexela gas station.
Eight Rescue Board firefighting crews plus two Päästeliit volunteer firefighting teams, from both the northern and western regions, were on sight.
Spokesperson for the Northern Rescue Center Siim Palu told ERR the shortly after 3 p.m., first responders on the scene observed flames emerging from the facility's roof.
"The building was already fully engulfed in flames, so the immediate priority was to protect the adjacent buildings," Palu said.
That aspect of the operation was successfully concluded, and no injuries were reported, Palu went on.
The sawmill itself was a lost cause by that stage, he added (see gallery).
"That building has now burned to the ground, and the current priority is to get an excavator on-site to pull apart the debris and extinguish any remaining smoldering hotspots," Palu said.
The cause of the conflagration is not yet known, Palu noted. "It's too early to determine the cause of the fire. Further investigation will reveal its origins. The firms owner, who had just returned from lunch at the time, said they heard a series of explosions in the boiler room shortly before flames were spotted coming from the roof."
Tap water potentially contaminated following extinguishing efforts
As with other major fires in recent weeks, the volume of water needed in extinguishing efforts meant the Rescue Board had to connect hoses to a local river.
The downside of this is that drinking water quality in the area is now compromised.
Anija Rural Municipality said that this affected the Kosenõmme area of Aegviidu.
"While drawing water for firefighting at the timber industry facility on Telliskivi street, riverine water entered the drinking water system. As a result, tap water reaching you via the mains may be of slightly lower quality in the coming days. For drinking and cooking, we therefore recommend boiling the water before use, or using bottled water," the municipality stated.
Water quality and also water pressure should be set to return to normal by the weekend, however.
— Päästeamet (@paasteamet) May 29, 2024
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Merili Nael, Marko Tooming, Olev Kenk
