Identity of some victims of Espoo house fire still unclear

Five dead in blaze at substance abuse shelter

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Fire deaths among the marginalised section of the population are often attributable to severe neglect, even indifference, says Senior Inspector Vesa-Pekka Tervo from the Ministry of the Interior.
     
He notes further that a fire that destroyed a detached house in the Mikkelä district of Espoo, close to Espoon keskus, in the early hours of Thursday morning was also a consequence of insufficient safety measures.
      Five people died and five more were injured in the blaze.
      The building, which served as a rental home for individuals suffering from substance abuse, was destroyed completely. The owner of the house was the City of Espoo.
      Mikko Pitkäkangas, one of the permanent residents of the house, does not recall hearing any sound of a fire alarm. In fact, he does not even know whether or not he had a working smoke detector in his room.
      ”In the small hours I was half asleep and woke up as I was thirsty”, says Pitkäkangas.
     
Five people survived the fire and were taken to the Jorvi Hospital. One of the injured victims sustained serious injuries and was detained in the hospital on Thursday evening.
      Two of the survivors were permanent residents of the house.
      ”Officially, only four men lived in the house permanently, but frequently there could also be a bunch of others who had come to drink in company - as on Wednesday night”, reported Pitkäkangas after the fire.
      The house had four rooms with a communal kitchen. Pitkäkangas describes the house as old but inhabitable.
     
The City of Espoo arranged temporary board and lodging for those who lost their home in the fire, while crisis assistance has also been provided for the families of the deceased and for the injured.
      On Thursday, the police did not know the identity of all deceased individuals, but reportedly all of them were victims of social exclusion, while two of the fatalities were women and three men.
      Erkki Tapanainen, a representative of the City’s Social Services, recalls some similar accidents in the past. Another wooden rental house in the neighbourhood that was used by the local council’s substance abuse rehabilitation service burned down some years ago.
      Attempts have been made to put people suffering from substance abuse in stone houses with surveillance and working smoke detectors.
      ”If people drink without being under surveillance, this is what can happen”, Tapanainen concluded.
     
The death toll of Thursday’s accident was unusually high, but it had several features typical of a fatal fire.
      According to the Rescue Department, alcohol plays a role in about 70 per cent of all fire fatalities, while some 60 per cent of victims had suffered from poor functional capacity.
      Last year more than 60 individuals out of all 90 fire fatalities were men.
      The police are investigating the potential cause of the fire. Detective Inspector Jukka Kaski reported on Thursday that nothing suspicious has been found so far.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  At least five dead in Espoo house fire (27.3.2008)

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