Two people were taken to Landspítali’s emergency department with suspected smoke inhalation after a fire at Laugavegur 16 in central Reykjavík early Wednesday.
The building was evacuated and firefighters located the blaze in the basement after smoke spread through the stairwell. RÚV later reported that police had arrested one person in connection with the investigation.
What’s the Story?
- Two people were taken to hospital with suspected smoke inhalation.
- The fire was found in the basement of Laugavegur 16 after the building was evacuated.
- Police arrested one person; the cause remains under investigation.
Firefighters search a smoke-filled building
All available Capital Region Fire and Rescue crews were called to the scene shortly after midnight. Four pairs of smoke divers entered the building before locating the fire in the basement.
The blaze took about two hours to bring under control, after which crews ventilated the property and checked for remaining hot spots. The building includes a hotel and the Andrá clothing shop.
The incident is a strong pickup from the daily emergency-services sweep because it affected central Laugavegur and required a full-scale fire response. Iceland Review’s archive includes earlier fires and emergencies on Reykjavík’s main shopping street.
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