Car Fire Erupts in Flamingo Parking Hall Near Helsinki

A car caught fire Sunday morning in the parking hall connected to the Flamingo hotel in Vantaa, Finland. The blaze broke out on the first floor of the structure, located next to the Jumbo shopping center. Emergency services received an alert, and public announcements instructed customers to avoid the parking area. Helsingin Sanomat reader Juhani Pitkänen was driving into the Flamingo-side parking garage when he saw flames rising from a vehicle. He continued to the upper level but reported visibility was nearly zero, with thick smoke filling two floors. At that time, rescue units had not yet arrived. By then, fire trucks were already on site and alarms had stopped sounding. Rescue authorities confirmed at 12:15 p.m. that the fire was fully extinguished and did not spread to nearby vehicles. No injuries occurred. The burned vehicle was identified as a gasoline-powered 2004 Citroen C5, parked near the entrance on the first floor. A large black hole remained in the engine compartment, indicating the fire started in the motor area. The parking hall was temporarily closed during firefighting operations. The car’s owner told HS journalist Matti Huuskonen he was in the spa café around 11 a.m. when a general announcement warned of a fire in the first-floor parking area. He went to check if it was his car, arriving after firefighters had put out the flames. He described the vehicle as a “total loss” and said it would be scrapped once usable parts were removed.