What Can Coffee Shops Learn From the Kostroma Cafe Fire?

A cafe in Kostroma, Russia, caught fire around 2 a.m. on November 5. The blaze killed 15 people and injured 5, spread across about 3,500 square meters, and also affected surrounding houses and shops. Twenty fire trucks and 50 firefighters responded, and it took five hours to extinguish the flames. A preliminary investigation suggests a drunken man fired a signal gun inside the premises.

The fire spread quickly and the roof collapsed during the rescue, and 250 people had to be evacuated. While a signal flare is not a lethal weapon, it burns like fireworks once fired, which is what ignited the interior decor. The incident highlights the need for checks on electrical equipment, extinguishers, and gas use, whether the site is a simple cafe or one running its own coffee bean roaster. Note that can you get drunk off coffee is unrelated to the cause here.

A sudden fire reduced a café in Kostroma, Russia, to ruins in the early hours of the morning. At around 2 a.m. on November 5, the café caught fire and the flames spread rapidly, ultimately killing 15 people and injuring 5, with the burned area reaching 3,500 square meters. A preliminary investigation suggests the fire may have been triggered by a drunken man firing a signal gun inside the premises. This tragedy once again reminds us that fire safety in public places cannot be overlooked. Whether it is an ordinary café or a coffee shop with its own roasting operation, strict checks are needed on electrical equipment, fire extinguishers, gas use, and other aspects. This article will recount the events and share practical advice on fire safety for coffee shops.

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A café in Kostroma, Russia, suddenly caught fire in the early hours of November 5 local time. According to Russian media reports, the accident has already caused 15 deaths and 5 injuries. After receiving the alarm, the local fire department responded quickly, dispatching 20 fire trucks and 50 firefighters to the scene. It took 5 hours of strenuous firefighting before the blaze was completely extinguished.

From video footage uploaded by netizens, it can be seen that at around 2 a.m. on the 5th, the café suddenly burst into flames, and the fire spread extremely rapidly. Because the fire was too fierce, the café's roof collapsed entirely during the rescue process, and in the end the entire café as well as several surrounding houses and shops were affected by the fire.

Preliminary investigation results show that the burned area of this fire reached as high as 3,500 square meters. In addition to causing casualties, 250 people were also urgently evacuated.

A witness revealed that before the fire broke out, a drunken man inside the café had an argument with others, and then the man used a signal gun to fire a signal flare (a signal gun is not a lethal weapon; it is mainly used for short-range signaling, illumination, and observation on the night battlefield). Because a signal flare turns into fireworks after being fired, it ignited the decorative materials indoors, thus causing this fire.

At present, the city of Kostroma has arrested a male suspect the same day and handed him over to dedicated investigators. After the fire, regional legislator and café owner Ikhtiyar Mirzoyev promised to provide assistance to those affected by the fire.

The governor of Kostroma Oblast later announced that November 7 would be a day of mourning for Kostroma Oblast. On that day, flags would fly at half-mast across the region, and all entertainment activities would be canceled.

Because fires and injuries caused by fireworks and firecrackers are common, various parts of our country have successively introduced regulations banning the setting off of fireworks and firecrackers in recent years. Bringing fireworks, firecrackers, and other flammable and explosive items into public places is likewise prohibited, and many indoor venues have also established no-smoking rules.

When a fire occurs indoors, we must first stay calm and get away from the fire scene as quickly as possible. According to the environment at the time, cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel, lower your head and bend down to avoid the smoke above, and quickly head to a safe passage to evacuate.

Although many cafés rarely use open-flame equipment and also have no-smoking rules, it is still necessary to always pay attention to the safe use of electrical equipment, and they need to be equipped with more than two fire extinguishers as well as filtering-style fire self-rescue respirators, placed within easy reach and replaced once a year.

If a coffee shop has its own roasting business, it must pay attention to machine maintenance, the safe use of gas/natural gas, the installation of the smoke exhaust system, cleaning the chaff bin after every batch, and ventilation in the roasting room. While the roaster is running, the operator must never leave. If a problem really occurs, the power must be cut off immediately and the gas/natural gas shut off.

Image source: Internet

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.