Reception centres report 1,400 fire alarms

The establishment of reception centres and alarms raised as a result of their operations took the rescue departments by surprise and led to significant increase of work without prior preparation.

Some 36 construction fires which injured 13 people broke out at the reception centres in the last 15 months, Finnish language daily, Savon Sanomat.

No one was killed and neither was anyone seriously injured in the fires save for mild injuries. Probably, eight incidents of fire were deliberately set.

Rescue department were alarmed to about 1,400 cases within a year when the reception centres were filled with asylum seekers in 2015-2016.

Most cases related to automatic fire alarms of which majority were unwarranted. The incidents, however, engaged the firemen significantly.

The information on fire safety problems and burden of work were revealed in the Emergency Services College new study which was completed last spring. The Ministry of the Interior published the study just recently.