A large fire broke out in a hangar in Vilnius late Thursday. It was brought under control by early Friday, the Fire and Rescue Department said.
“The fire was localized at 04:48. Its spread has been stopped. Firefighters continue working inside and outside the building,” a department spokeswoman told BNS.
Authorities initially reported one injured person but later said there were no casualties.
“We avoided casualties. Reports of an injury were incorrect,” Fire and Rescue Department adviser Donatas Gurevičius told LRT RADIO, adding that the information may have been confused with another fire in Vilnius in which a person suffered burns.
Up to 53 firefighters and rescue officers worked overnight at the scene on Eišiškių Plentas in the Lithuanian capital.
According to the department, the blaze affected premises covering about 8,000 square metres, with roughly 5,000 square metres burned. The southeastern side of the building sustained the most damage.
Emergency services received the first report of the fire at 21:06 Thursday. When crews arrived, the hangar was engulfed in flames and part of the roof had collapsed.
Traffic on Eišiškių Plentas was temporarily restricted during firefighting operations but reopened by Friday morning.
Specialists from the Environmental Protection Department conducted predictive modelling of air pollution dispersion following the fire.
Residents within a three-kilometre radius received mobile phone alerts advising them to remain indoors and switch off ventilation systems as a precaution.
