Copenhagen: Firefighting work in historic stock exchange continues

A fire broke out in the historic stock exchange in Copenhagen on Tuesday. Although it is under control, the fire department is still extinguishing the fire. It also has to stabilize the outside walls of the building.

Firefighting work continues in the historic stock exchange in Copenhagen. The fire department was on duty the entire night. “This morning we are still in the process of extinguishing the fire in the burned-out part, of which only the outer walls remain,” the fire department announced on X (formerly Twitter) that morning. The emergency services assume that the extinguishing work will take at least another day.

Exterior walls must be stabilized

Work is underway to stabilize the exterior walls of the building. To prevent them from falling over, containers are placed on the outside of the walls.

Fire brigade teams are also on duty in the part of the stock exchange that is still intact. “In the part that we were able to save from the flames, crews are continuing to ensure that the fire does not flare up again,” said the fire department. The fire has been under control since Tuesday afternoon.

Half of the building destroyed

The fire started on Tuesday morning under the copper roof of the red brick building and then spread from the roof downwards. For hours, huge flames shot into the sky and thick black smoke rose.

The top of the tower fell off the roof after a short time. By the time emergency services brought the fire under control on Tuesday, around half of the unique building and key supporting structures had already been destroyed. The cause of the fire is still unclear.

The almost 400-year-old building was scaffolded in order to restore it. The aim was to correct an improper renovation of the building in the 19th century in order to restore the facade to its original appearance. The building has not been used as a stock exchange in the true sense for a long time.