The Investigative Committee has opened two criminal cases concerning the Sosva fire in Sverdlovsk Region, a blaze that may have consumed between ninety and one hundred twenty houses according to various assessments.
One case cites possible negligence by authorities who failed to implement necessary fire safety measures under Article 293 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The second case, in line with Article 109, involves the loss of life due to alleged negligent actions by a citizen whose body was recovered during firefighting operations. Investigators noted that roughly 90 houses were burned in Sosva and that property belonging to Medical Correctional Institution No. 23 was damaged, with all inmates (240 people) evacuated as the building burned down completely, according to TASS reporting.
The prosecutor’s office has also begun its own inquiry into these cases. The investigative authorities will work to establish the circumstances surrounding the large-scale fire and the death of a Sosva resident.
The fire was brought under control in the early hours of the morning.
On the morning of April 26, the press service of Russia’s Ministry of Emergencies reported that the fires in Sosva and Tayozhny were localized over an area of 9,000 square meters and 2,700 square meters respectively. More than 130 homes were destroyed in the two settlements, with a total of 178 buildings reported as ruined. Approximately 1,200 homes in Sosva were saved from the blaze, according to the Ministry of Emergencies.
Different outlets reported varying figures: OTV channel cited 120 burned houses in Sosva, Interfax mentioned at least 110 buildings—108 of which were houses. The precise final count of damaged structures had not been confirmed at the time. The emergency department told TASS that at least 660 people lost their homes.
One resident described the scene as a disaster, noting that several blocks from Lenina Street to Mitina Street were consumed by flames. Firefighters had fought the blaze through the night. The operation involved more than 120 firefighters and 33 units of equipment, with two fire trains and a helicopter from the Emergency Ministry, as well as personnel from the Russian Guard, continuing to work in the area.
The ministry attributed the rapid spread of the fire to abundant dry vegetation, strong winds reaching 20 meters per second, and the village’s distance from water sources.
Reports indicated that eight loads of timber were burned and that power lines and transformers were damaged, cutting electricity to about 1,400 people. On April 26, an operational group led by Ilya Denisov, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Emergencies, arrived in Sverdlovsk Region to coordinate firefighting and relief efforts. The ministry stated that fires in Sosva, Tayozhny, Visim, Progress, and Neustroyeva were being localized and extinguishing work was underway.
District authorities confirmed that fires in other districts—Pervouralsk urban district, Irbit, and Gornouralsk urban district—had been fully contained, while 23 forest fires were still reported across the region.
Casualties and people left without shelter
During the recovery and clearing of wreckage on April 25, a 62-year-old local resident was found dead. Some reports cited two deaths, and others listed injuries to residents, including burns and head trauma. One Sosva resident remained listed as missing. Local channels cited a resident whose home on Lenin Street burned entirely, with search efforts ongoing for the woman.
Survivors described a night of fear and fatigue as adults stood watch on duty while families prepared for possible evacuation. The morning meeting between fire victims and regional leadership led to the establishment of a list of residents who had lost homes or property in the fire.
In the first round of emergency assistance, affected residents were slated to receive an initial payment of 10,000 rubles. A comprehensive commission was also established to assess losses for each structure, with ongoing procedures to determine the full extent of damage.
Cause of the fire
The blaze began in the afternoon of April 25 near Medical Reformatory No. 23, where dry grass caught fire and spread quickly to nearby residences under strong winds, according to the regional Main Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service. Early information from local sources suggested the fire may have originated at a sawmill owned by Mammadov IP, with reports that owner Natig Ogly Mamedoliev escaped the scene. The blaze might have begun during construction work, with sparks from metal cutting able to ignite dry grass and sawdust, enabling rapid spread across the village.
On April 25, several large fires erupted across Sverdlovsk region. The Ministry of Emergencies reported roughly 180 buildings burned in the region during the previous day, with firefighting efforts supported by 380 personnel and 112 units of equipment. In response to the widespread danger, Governor Yevgeny Kuyvashev declared a high alert regime in Sverdlovsk Region on April 26.