Bucharest fire spreads to five of eight linked event halls

A fire that broke out just before 07:00 on Monday at a complex of linked event halls on Calea Piscului, in Bucharest's Sector 4, had spread to five of the complex's eight buildings by mid-morning, covering an area of about 1,000 square metres, the capital's emergency inspectorate ISU Bucuresti-Ilfov said. No casualties have been reported.

The halls, near Parcul Tineretului, are built attached to one another, which let the fire spread quickly between them after it was first reported. Flames were already generalised across several buildings when the first crews arrived, with officials warning of a risk of further spread before the blaze was brought under partial control.

ISU Bucuresti-Ilfov said it sent 12 water-and-foam fire engines, two aerial rescue vehicles, a heavy-rescue vehicle, its special rescue detachment and two SMURD medical units to the scene; broadcaster Antena 3 CNN put the number of engines at 15. Firefighters used nearby hydrants and water from a swimming pool inside the complex to help fight the blaze, state broadcaster Stirile ProTV reported.

"In continuare nu sunt victime" ("There are still no victims"), ISU Bucuresti-Ilfov said repeatedly as the operation continued through the morning. Crews climbed onto the roofs of the affected buildings using ladders to reach the flames, Stirile ProTV reported, while other units worked to stop the fire reaching the remaining three halls in the complex.

Witnesses cited by Stirile ProTV said the fire probably started in a kitchen area, though this has not been officially confirmed; authorities said an investigation would establish the cause once the fire is fully extinguished. The blaze comes as Romania's weather service has separately issued orange and yellow severe-weather warnings for Bucharest and nine counties, covering heavy rain, strong wind and snow until Wednesday, according to HotNews and Libertatea.