On the morning of 31 July, a major fire broke out at the DNS warehouse for household and digital appliances on Dniprovska Street in Vladivostok. The fire spread across approximately 5,000 square metres, causing the roof and parts of the structure to collapse. The Ministry of Emergency Situations office in Primorsky Krai reported that the fire had been brought under control at 09:57. Staff were evacuated and no casualties were reported.
Briefly about the main points
- A fire broke out at the DNS warehouse on the morning of 31 July.
- The fire spread across approximately 5,000 square metres.
- Firefighters brought the fire under control at 09:57 local time.
- The roof and part of the warehouse structures collapsed.
- DNS expects to lose all its premises and equipment.
Wind and water supply issues hampered the fire-fighting efforts
Emergency services received a report of the fire at 07:16 local time. The first units arrived six minutes later, by which time the building was already engulfed in flames and thick black smoke was rising from it.
The area affected by the fire was initially estimated at 1,000 square metres, but the fire spread rapidly. Firefighting efforts were hampered by strong winds and insufficient pressure in the city’s fire hydrants, so water was delivered by tankers provided by the emergency services and the Vladivostok city administration.
Fifty people, 13 fire engines and six water tankers were deployed to the scene. The firefighters managed to prevent the flames from spreading to the neighbouring building. Plastic electrical components in the warehouse caused heavy smoke.
DNS is assessing the losses and the potential impact on logistics
Co-owner and Director of DNS Group Dmytro Alekseev He confirmed that the part of the warehouse complex used by the company was on fire. According to him, everyone had been evacuated from the building. «The warehouse is large and will burn down completely, as a fire of this magnitude cannot be put out,» he told Russian journalists.
The cause of the fire will be determined once the fire has been fully extinguished and the damaged structures have been inspected. Experts have also tested the air in the surrounding areas and found no levels of the pollutants tested to exceed the permitted limits; monitoring is continuing.
DNS was founded in Vladivostok and combines retail outlets, a pick-up service, delivery and its own logistics infrastructure. Therefore, the loss of a large warehouse may cause local delays in restocking, collection or delivery of some online orders. However, this does not mean that the company’s entire network in the city will cease to operate.
The financial losses have yet to be determined
The extent of the losses has not yet been assessed by DNS. To calculate the losses, it is necessary to determine the volume of destroyed stock, the condition of the building and the cost of its restoration. The company will also have to decide how to organise the flow of goods should the warehouse premises be lost.
