A major fire broke out early Sunday at the Jokoisten Leipä bread factory in Jokioinen, prompting authorities to issue a hazard warning due to health-threatening smoke and reduced visibility on nearby roads.
JOKIOINEN—A fire has broken out at the Jokoisten Leipä bread factory in Jokioinen, about 124 kilometers northwest of Helsinki.
Authorities have issued a hazard warning for the area due to health-threatening smoke in the air.
Residents are advised to stay indoors and close ventilation systems. Additionally, the Fintraffic Road Traffic Center reports that smoke from the fire is reducing visibility on Highway 10.
Jokioisten Leipä, a family business founded in 1983, manufactures bread and pastries and employs about 140 people. According to Kanta-Häme rescue services, firefighting operations are ongoing and are expected to continue for a long time.
The rescue services received a report of the fire at 04:30 in the morning. Shortly before 06:00, the fire department reported that the blaze had reached its peak. Rescue chief Tero Haapala told STT on Sunday that it will likely take at least a day for the ruins to cool down.
The rescue department told STT that the fire did not pose a danger to people, and those who had arrived at the building for work were able to exit on their own.
According to the police, the possibility of a crime in connection with the factory fire cannot be ruled out at this stage.
