State Fire and Rescue Service responds to numerous emergencies in Latvia

The State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) reported a high volume of emergency calls across Latvia over recent days. In one period, the service handled 131 calls, including 35 fires, 53 rescue operations, and 43 false alarms. Notable incidents included a person rescued from an overturned boat near Aizpute and a fatal incident involving a person in a lake in Asūne. In Riga, firefighters used hydraulic tools to free a person from a truck accident.

In the Vidzeme region, VUGD responded to several emergencies, most notably a fire in a four-story residential building in Valmiera. Firefighters used rescue masks to save five people from a smoke-filled stairwell, while an additional three people and three cats were rescued from adjacent areas. Other regional responses included a fire in a production building in Bilska and a search for a lost person in the forests of Zvirgzdenes pagasts.