The fire at the Ekonomiya hypermarket near Ust-Ilimsk in the Irkutsk region covered about 800 square meters at the height of the response. Local authorities reported the incident to the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergencies, noting the rapid spread that prompted a coordinated firefighting effort in the area.
The Ministry of Emergencies confirmed that a fire notification reached the Ust-Ilimsk fire and rescue service at 09:15 local time, triggering immediate dispatch of responders to the scene. Crews arrived to find a significant blaze requiring a layered response to protect nearby structures and evacuate occupants if needed.
Before firefighters arrived, seven people managed to leave the premises on their own, reflecting a timely evacuation that contributed to a safer outcome. There were no fatalities reported in connection with the incident, a detail noted by officials as they coordinated ongoing containment and clearance operations.
Officials described the current fire area as 800 square meters, underscoring the challenge of monitoring hot spots and preventing reignition as teams worked to establish a controlled perimeter. The firefighting operation involved seven responders, together totaling 18 personnel assigned to extinguishing duties, with teams organized to cover both the event site and surrounding risk zones.
In a separate development from St. Petersburg, emergency crews were reported to be operating at the scene of a double-deck yacht fire in the Petrogradsky district around 17:00, according to the press service. The update emphasizes the ongoing, nationwide activity of emergency services and the variety of incidents that crews address in a single day.
Earlier news noted a separate incident in Yekaterinburg where a building project, an Ice arena under construction, experienced a fire. The breadth of these reports illustrates the routine duties of emergency responders, who must remain ready to respond to fires in commercial facilities, maritime vessels, and construction sites alike, often within short windows of time.