In the village of Petrovskoe, within the Istra district, a warehouse operated by the Ozone retailer caught fire. The incident was reported at 12:33 am, according to the Moscow region Department of Emergencies. At the time of reporting, the blaze was not yet controlled.
When the first fire and rescue crews arrived, smoke and flames were visible from the non-residential building that housed the warehouse, the agency explained. Tow trucks and support vehicles were deployed—roughly 30 units of equipment and 96 responders were involved. Firefighting helicopters, including Mi-8 models, were sent to assist, alongside ground crews continuing the suppression work.
On arrival, the affected area measured 35,000 square meters, later expanding to 50,000 square meters as the situation developed, with a section of the roof collapsing. The overall footprint of the building was about 150,000 square meters.
Two deputy heads of the Russian Ministry of Emergencies arrived to coordinate operations. The ministry noted that the First Deputy Head Alexander Chupriyan and Deputy Head Ilya Denisov were on scene to oversee firefighting activities.
Approximately 1,000 people were evacuated from the facility, with bus convoys organized to relocate staff. Reports indicated 11 injuries, with 2 people hospitalized at that point.
Later updates indicated one death and 13 injuries, according to information shared by a news agency, which cited the Center for Disaster Medicine for the figures.
Ambulances lined the perimeter as the scene unfolded. The regional governor discussed the situation with reporters, noting that two workers at the ozone depot had not yet been located. The building itself sustained severe damage and appeared unlikely to be salvageable, according to officials on site.
The authorities stated that rescue teams remained focused on safeguarding lives and preventing the fire from spreading, while considering additional aerial support if necessary. Officials emphasized the priority of evacuating workers and preventing further harm, with assurances that efforts were coordinated to extinguish the blaze rapidly.
Reports from a depot employee described the storage of gas cylinders and aerosols within the facility. The employee recalled that the fire started in a specific block, with evacuation conducted quickly, though the designated assembly point was about 50 meters away. At the time of reporting, no confirmed information on victims had been released, and workers noted the rapid escalation of the situation, compounded by wind driving the fire toward the warehouse’s far wing. Six fire trucks were actively extinguishing the flames, and explosions were reported by the witness.
Eyewitness accounts indicated a swift evacuation with no visible panic among staff. The warehouse consisted of three blocks, with flames already consuming one and a half blocks. Each block housed six levels of shelving. Property damage remained uncertain at that moment, and several employees lamented locked changing rooms used for personal belongings, expressing concern for items stored there.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations warned that the fire could reach adjacent fuel tanks, which would complicate containment efforts. They also described the fire suppression water supply as inadequate, noting that water had to be transported several kilometers to reach the site. Alexander Chupriyan, First Deputy Head of the ministry, spoke to reporters about the logistical challenges of delivering water to the scene.
goods for 10 billion rubles.
Industry analysts weighed in on potential losses from the incident, with an association projecting that the damage would exceed 10 billion rubles, against a total insured value of around 17 billion. A Moscow region-focused TV channel reportedly stored goods related to shipments within the warehouse.
Alexei Bazhenov, head of the WearNet working group within the National Technology Initiative, offered a more conservative estimate of about 700 million rubles. He suggested that the scale of the warehouse and the intense workload could push market losses toward that figure. He added that damage would partly reflect the performance of fire suppression systems and the impact on personnel, with potential delays in deliveries from other locations as a ripple effect.
In the immediate aftermath, efforts were underway to relocate goods to secure locations. It was noted that certain items were moved to nearby storage and marked as out of stock on the website. The company indicated it would honor contractual terms by covering losses for goods that could be damaged or lost.
Earlier reports indicated that a compensation system for damaged goods was being prepared, with the system planned to become active around August 4, subject to standard pre-implementation notices.
One prevailing theory considered a short circuit as a potential cause, while another posited arson as a major driver of the fire at the Ozone depot. Reuters and other outlets cited that arson was being treated as the leading hypothesis by emergency authorities. A news source noted that multiple ignition points could be involved, and that a definitive assessment would require further investigation after the flames were fully extinguished. The depot had only recently begun operations, and a fire safety inspection had not yet taken place.