It was burning like hell, says Magnus Jansson Klarin, press spokesman for the police in the central region, when describing the events in the row of townhouses in Arboga on Friday.
The fire alarm came just before 1 p.m. and the fire quickly spread through the buildings.
It was so hot when I came out that it almost felt like my house was going to catch fire. I sprayed the facade with a water hose just to do something, you feel so powerless, Liselott Åsberg Samuelsson, who lives next door to the townhouse area, told TT on Friday.
“Only the shell remains”
On Saturday, the police cordons were reduced and now only cover the two affected rows of townhouses.
According to Magnus Jansson Klarin, there are two blocks of flats with around ten flats in each. At least 18 flats are completely destroyed.
In one row, only the shell remains, he says.
Two more rows of townhouses have been evacuated, with the aim of residents being able to return during the day.
They were not affected by the fire, but there was very heavy smoke in those houses, so it remains to be seen whether they have suffered any form of smoke damage.
Police have no information that anyone was seriously injured in the fire.
Because there is still a risk of smaller fires breaking out, the police have not yet been able to begin a technical investigation into what caused the fire.
"It is often the case with fires that there is a risk that they will flare up again. Especially when it is as hot as it has been in this fire. The rescue services have a long extinguishing job ahead of them," says Jansson Klarin.
Arboga Municipality has called in its crisis support group to take care of those affected, who have been provided with temporary accommodation.
“Depressed and sad”
Many solved it themselves with the help of relatives and friends, but for those who need help we arrange hostels and the like, says Carl Björnberg, emergency officer at the municipality.
The municipality continues to have a crisis center open and a crisis hotline to contact.
It's depressing and sad, of course, but still quite calm, says Carl Björnberg about the mood among those affected.
