Vacant Barn in Sastamala Burns Down, Nearly Igniting Neighbour's House

A vacant 250-square-metre barn on Hiidenmaatie in Sastamala burned completely overnight between Thursday and Friday, local broadcaster YLE reported. Fire chief Pasi Saari of the Pirkanmaa Rescue Department said crews were alerted shortly after 1 AM and found the fire already fully developed. “The fire shattered the windows of the neighbouring house. It was very close to spreading to the house,” he said. The homeowners were woken by the blaze and could not perform initial firefighting. Rescue units stopped the flames from reaching the house and saved a nearby forestry machine. No one was injured. Crews left the scene after 6 AM, and the cause of the fire remains unknown. The blaze is the latest in a series of recent fires in Sastamala, following an overnight house fire on Vatajantie earlier this month.