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Major blaze destroys vehicle customisation facility in Vantaa

No injuries have been reported, but the company's CEO said the financial damage could reach up to 20 million euros. Dozens of vehicles were destroyed.

Emergency services received a call about the fire just after midnight on Thursday night.
  • Yle News

A major fire destroyed a 4,000-square-metre building in an industrial area in Vantaa on Thursday night.

The building had been used by Verhoomo Sorsa, a vehicle customisation service firm.

A police van blocks a motorway, with a large fire and smoke seen in the distance.
Police closed off roads leading to the area. Image: Dan Granqvist / Yle

On Thursday night the company's CEO, Ilari Salonen, said he anticipated that the blaze would totally destroy the facility.

"The building was used to outfit vehicles. It was completed five years ago," he said.

There were a total of about 100 vehicles at the facility. Forty of them were inside the building, but the ones outside were mostly spared from the fire.

"The financial damage is an estimated 10 to 20 million euros," Salonen said.

According to Salonen, there were no staff members in the building when the blaze broke out.

The company also has operations at an industrial area in Lempäälä.

A large building in an industrial area, engulfed in flames.
More than two dozen rescue units responded to the blaze. Image: Dan Granqvist / Yle

The cause of the fire is not yet known, according to the Central Uusimaa rescue department's on-duty fire chief, Tomi Airaksinen. He said that work at the site would likely continue into Friday morning.

Emergency services received a call about the fire just after midnight. Twenty-six rescue units responded to the call.