Finnish safety authority opts against investigating Kalasatama apartment fire

Finland's Safety Investigation Authority (Otkes) has decided against conducting a formal safety investigation into the recent apartment fire in Kalasatama, Helsinki. Tiina Bieber, Otkes's communications manager, explained in a blog post on Wednesday that the decision was made because the incident resulted in no casualties, the rescue operations were successful, and no structural problems with the building are known. Bieber emphasized that an investigation by Otkes would not provide significant new safety insights. She added that such an inquiry, which can take nearly a year, would not be an efficient use of taxpayer funds or Otkes's resources. The fire, which occurred on Saturday, May 23, rendered an apartment building with over 60 residential units and one commercial space uninhabitable. The blaze is suspected to have originated from a gas grill on a balcony. Police are investigating a man who used the gas grill for causing a public hazard. Bieber clarified that Otkes's role is not to determine responsibility or guilt, which falls to other authorities. She also addressed public discussion about fire compartmentation, stating that the building's compartmentation held, preventing the fire from spreading to other apartments, though it did reach the roof. Otkes confirmed they gathered sufficient information on-site regarding the fire's spread mechanism into the roof structures. Ultimately, Otkes concluded that a lengthy investigation would not improve construction or fire safety standards. Bieber reassured residents that Finnish apartment buildings remain safe places to live.

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Our investigation in the Kalasatama case would not be able to produce significant new safety benefits.