The Regional Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergencies reported that on the morning of January 13 a large Wildberries warehouse in the Russian Federation was located in St. It was stated that the village of Shushari in the Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg caught fire. A Telegram channel reported that initially the fire covered 1 thousand square meters, but it spread rapidly to nearly the entire warehouse, about 100 thousand square meters. By 10:55 the fire had been localized on an area of 70 thousand square meters.
According to RIA Novosti, the fire in Shushari marked the largest fire in Russian retail history. The blaze could be seen by plane passengers flying over St. Petersburg, and the sky above the Pushkinsky district was thick with smoke. Residents reported ashes drifting from their windows, and Rospotrebnadzor workers arrived at the site to take air samples. (citation: RIA Novosti)
The warehouse was completely burned, with walls and the ceiling collapsing. Reports indicated that on January 12 a pipe burst inside the building and caused flooding in the goods reception area, but this did not slow the spread of the fire. (citation: Shot, January 12 reporting)
More than a thousand employees inside
Telegram channels described the fire starting on the seventh floor, where clothing was stored, while pallets of household chemicals on the sixth floor ignited as the fire advanced. The fire suppression system reportedly did not operate as expected. As flames widened, fireworks stored in the warehouse exploded. (citations: plinth, Shot)
The first alarm reportedly sounded around 4:20 a.m., but some Wildberries staff treated it as a false alarm after multiple alarms in weeks prior. (citation: Baza)
There were about 1,800 people inside the building at the time of the incident. By 7:30 a.m. some began evacuating in a frantic rush; the crowd pressed toward an emergency exit but many could not pass through narrow doors. Some workers fled through damaged metal lockers as the fire intensified. (citations: Telegram channels Shot, plinth)
Residents learned of the fire as it spread, and employees continued to descend from upper floors. Some bystanders climbed to balconies and jumped from the second and third floors to the ground to escape the blaze. One eyewitness, Alexey, confirmed the chaos and fear inside the warehouse to a news outlet. He recalled that the alarm initially sounded as a test, and panic ensued as smoke and flames overwhelmed the complex. Two fire trucks arrived but appeared undersized for the scale of the blaze. An ambulance was on scene, though casualties were not immediately clear. (citation: socialbites.ca)
Casualties
Reports from plinth indicated that one employee suffered serious burns to the leg and that several friends were injured. The outlet also noted two victims, a man and a woman, who sought medical care. Another source reported a 20-year-old worker named Evgeniy went missing during evacuation after being seen inside the warehouse prior to the fire. (citations: plinth, Shot)
Wildberries staff told plinth that traffic at the exit became jammed because security guards did not let people leave unattended, but as the fire neared, workers disobeyed guards to escape with their colleagues. A witness described a door that should have been used for exiting as closed to prevent fire spread, forcing hundreds of employees through a smaller doorway and causing additional turmoil. A delivery driver reportedly refused to pick up evacuees when only half the bus was available. (citation: Puree, Telegram)
Another eyewitness described the scene as terrifying, with people scrambling and shouting. Some attempted to change clothes to avoid inhaling smoke, while others were hurried out through two rows arranged by organizers to manage entry and exit. (citation: socialbites.ca)
In the warehouse, employees who were changing clothes to reduce smoke inhalation were reportedly ushered out with difficulty. An observer named Nikolai spoke of the frantic rush inside and the attempts to maintain order during evacuation. (citation: socialbites.ca)
Why the warehouse burned
The exact ignition source had not been officially confirmed at the time. A source inside the emergency services suggested an electrical fault as a possible cause. A newer mezzanine or superstructure had been added to the warehouse shortly before the incident, and wiring in that area had reportedly been done poorly, according to employees who detected a strong smell of burning cables around 4 a.m. Law enforcement officials were also considering arson. (citations: TASS, Puree, Shot)
There were rumors of an altercation between individuals at the site on the night of January 11, which later fed into speculation about arson. Some Wildberries workers believed the building could have been set on fire as retaliation. (citation: Shot)
Damage – billions of rubles
Wildberries pledged compensation for buyers and sellers whose orders and goods were destroyed. Izvestia reported that all items stored in the warehouse were consumed by the blaze. Company representatives said they would support customers and compensate for damaged or lost goods, with further details being determined as the investigation progressed. (citation: Wildberries statement, socialbites.ca)
Industry data from the All-Russian Association of Insurers suggested the total cost of the damage could reach 10 to 11 billion rubles. TASS reported that the building had not been officially put into operation, was not registered with Rosreestr, and had not undergone formal checks by supervisory authorities. Wildberries later noted an investment of 3 billion rubles for a warehouse complex in Shushary in 2021. (citations: All-Russian Association of Insurers, TASS)
In the aftermath, the situation remained under scrutiny as authorities assessed the scale of destruction and the implications for safety standards in warehousing and retail logistics across the region. (citation: TASS)