Emergency services were notified at 10:44 a.m. on Monday that a building at a chemical plant on Turu tänav in Kiviõli was on fire.

"The fire is on the fifth floor," said Martin Martinson, incident commander for the Eastern Regional Rescue Service. "We are now trying to gain access to that fifth floor both via internal stairwells and from outside using aerial platform trucks."

According to Martinson, flames can be seen on the fifth floor, and a thermal imaging camera also indicated that there are several separate sources of fire on that floor.

The Rescue Board has also confirmed that no one has been injured in the incident.

Martinson was unable to estimate how long it may still take to extinguish the fire, as the layout of the rooms, the height of the building and access to it all pose challenges.

"Chances are, it'll take several more hours," he acknowledged.

The incident commander also confirmed that the smoke from the fire poses no danger to local residents.

"The wind is blowing away from the city, toward the ash hills, where there are no residents, and the amount of smoke spreading beyond the company's grounds does not pose a threat," he explained.

Martinson noted that it is also not yet known what may have caused the fire.

"A fire investigator is on site, and once extinguishing efforts are complete, they can begin determining the cause," he said.

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