Fire tears through commercial building in eastern Riverton, nearby homes evacuated

A large fire broke out on Tuesday evening in a three-story commercial building in the Eastgate district of Riverton, sending thick smoke over the neighborhood and forcing the evacuation of around 80 residents from nearby apartment blocks.

The fire service said it received the first call shortly after 6:30 p.m. When the first crews arrived, flames were visible on the ground floor, which houses a furniture outlet and several storage units. More than 60 firefighters and 18 vehicles were sent to the scene.

No injuries so far

By late evening the blaze was under control, but crews remained on site to cool the building and prevent it from flaring up again. According to the fire service, all staff and customers had left the building before firefighters arrived, and no injuries have been reported.

The fire spread quickly because of the materials stored inside. Our priority was to stop it from reaching the roof and the neighboring buildings, and we managed that.

Viktor Sandell, incident commander, Riverton fire service

Residents of the evacuated blocks were taken to a nearby school gym, where the city provided blankets and hot drinks. Most were expected to return home overnight once air quality checks were completed.

“We saw black smoke from the balcony, and then the police were knocking on every door,” said Lea Hartmann, who lives across the street. “It all happened in ten minutes.”

Cause under investigation

Riverton police have opened an investigation and said it was too early to say what caused the fire. Fire investigators will enter the building once it is declared safe, which may not be until Wednesday afternoon.

Several roads around Eastgate remain closed, and the city’s transport operator has diverted two bus lines. Police urged residents in the area to keep their windows closed overnight and asked drivers to avoid the district.

This is a developing story and will be updated.