Novi Sad Building Fire Forces 32 Residents to Evacuate
Firefighters battled a basement fire overnight in a Vuka Karadzica Street building in Novi Sad, leading 32 residents to safety through thick smoke. Emergency medical services treated four people.
A fire broke out overnight on September 21 in a residential building on Vuka Karadzica Street in Novi Sad. The blaze started in a basement apartment, and thick smoke spread through the entire building within a short time. Firefighters evacuated 32 people, four of whom were treated by emergency medical services.
Sources differ on the exact time the fire broke out. 24sedam reports the call came in shortly after 1 a.m., a time also cited by 021, while one report puts it around 1:20 a.m. In any case, it happened in the early morning hours, when most residents were asleep.
How the Evacuation Unfolded
Members of the Novi Sad Fire and Rescue Battalion responded as soon as the call came in that a residential building was on fire. They entered the smoke filled building and began pulling people from their apartments through thick smoke and flames. According to accounts from the scene, residents were led out wearing protective masks, many supported by firefighters as they made their way down the stairwell.
Because the fire started in the basement, smoke first spread through the stairwell and shared areas before reaching the apartments on the upper floors, even though the flames themselves stayed confined to a single basement unit. That is why all 32 residents of the building had to be evacuated, not just those in apartments directly affected by the fire.
Four fire trucks took part in the operation. The basement apartment where the fire started burned completely. Since most residents were not awake when the fire broke out, the rescue was described as dramatic: firefighters had to evacuate a large number of people from a smoke filled building in a short time, during the hours when the streets around it were empty.
Injuries and Treatment
Emergency medical services treated four people at the scene. 24sedam and Nova.rs report that one of the four sustained more serious injuries, while 021 does not specify how severe the injuries were. None of the available reports say that any of the injured were kept for further treatment, and there is no official information on the nature of their injuries.
The identities of the evacuated residents, including the more seriously injured person, have not been released, nor has any relevant authority disclosed them.
What Is Known About the Cause
The cause of the fire remains unknown. None of the available reports indicate that authorities have released a preliminary finding on how the fire started in the basement apartment, and there has been no mention of an investigation. Until an official cause is announced, any claim about it remains speculation.
The building on Vuka Karadzica Street remains partly unusable following the fire, at least in the basement apartment that burned completely. It is not known whether residents were placed in temporary housing that night or returned to their apartments once the fire was extinguished and the building ventilated.
There is also no information yet on material damage to the building itself, beyond the fact that one basement apartment burned completely. Firefighters brought the fire under control during the night, and according to available reports, all 32 residents were evacuated without any fatalities.
This story will be updated if authorities release the cause of the fire or further details on the injured.
