A restaurant kitchen fire forced the evacuation of dozens of apartments above the establishment on Ypemaheerd in the Beijum district of Groningen on Friday evening. RTV Noord reported that heavy smoke filled the building after the blaze broke out at the rear of the property.
Kitchen Fire Triggers Evacuation in Beijum
Emergency services received the fire report at approximately 8:30 p.m., according to OOG Groningen. Because the restaurant sits in a densely populated residential area, dispatchers quickly scaled up the response to a medium-sized fire, deploying two fire engines and an aerial ladder truck as noted by MeterNieuws.nl.
Employees inside the restaurant attempted to extinguish the flames before firefighters arrived, but their efforts failed, resulting in smoke inhalation for the staff members. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the building to tackle the blaze in the kitchen and performed targeted demolition work to reach hidden fire pockets.
Smoke Forces Residents Into the Rain
Heavy smoke quickly migrated into the residential units situated directly above the commercial space, prompting the fire department to order an immediate evacuation of dozens of apartments. Affected residents stood outside on the street in the rain while emergency crews secured the scene.
An ambulance responded to the location to evaluate individuals for smoke inhalation. Emergency medical personnel examined multiple people on-site, including the restaurant workers who tried to put out the initial flames.
Crews Check for Carbon Monoxide and Assess Structural Safety
Once firefighters brought the flames under control at approximately 9:24 p.m., crews entered the upper apartments with monitoring equipment to check for dangerous concentrations of carbon monoxide. Displaced residents received temporary shelter in the immediate neighborhood while authorities assessed the structural safety of the building.
Stichting Salvage, an organization that assists property owners and residents with insurance claims and damage coordination, dispatched representatives to the Ypemaheerd location to manage the aftermath of the incident.
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