2024 Børsen fire
 | |
| Date | 16 April 2024 |
|---|---|
| Time | Before 08:00 CEST |
| Duration | TBA |
| Venue | Børsen |
| Location | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Coordinates | 55°40′32″N 12°35′2″E / 55.67556°N 12.58389°E |
| Cause | Unknown (possibly accidental) |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Property damage | Spire destroyed; roof removed |
On 16 April 2024, a fire spread throughout the Børsen, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The building was a 17th century stock exchange until it's business was transfered to Nasdaq Copenhagen. The fire resulted in the collapse of its iconic Dragespir ("Dragon Spire") at around 08:32 CEST.[1][2] The fire happened during renovation work in the main building's copper roof, but the cause of the blaze was unknown. About half of the building was destroyed by the afternoon.[3] The scaffolding around Børsen also caught fire. The scaffolding around the building made it harder for the 40[4] firefighters on the scene to reach the flames, and the copper roof preserved the heat.[5] Military personnel were also on site to support the fire-fighting efforts.[4]
Additional machinery had also been called in to help remove the roof, as it was stopping water from reaching the fire.[4] The facades were in danger of collapsing as the fire burned,[5] since the building is mostly made of wood.[6]
Impact
Historic paintings from the building's substantial art collection,[7] as well as historic furniture,[4] were rescued from the burning building by staff, emergency workers, and passers-by.[8] Among them was From Copenhagen Stock Exchange by Skagen Painter Peder Severin Krøyer.[9] The nearby National Museum immediately sent 25 employees to help retrieve the art.[5] Everyone in the building was able to leave, and there were no casualties.[7]
Reactions
Danish Chamber of Commerce
Brian Mikkelsen CEO of the building's owner the Danish Chamber of Commerce, said that it would be rebuilt “no matter what”.[6]
Politics
Denmark’s Deputy Prime Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, called the fire "our own Notre Dame moment". The fire occurred five years and a day after the Notre-Dame fire in Paris.[4]
References
- ^ "Børsen i København står i brand: '400 års kulturarv i flammer'" (in Danish). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ "Børsen står i flammer: Det ikoniske dragetårn er kollapset" (in Danish). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ "Fire destroys Copenhagen's Old Stock Exchange dating to 1600s, collapsing its dragon-tail spire". Associated Press. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Halasz, Stephanie; Mortensen, Antonia; Said-Moorhouse, Lauren (16 April 2024). "Spire collapses after fire rips through Copenhagen's old stock exchange". CNN. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Brady, Kate (16 April 2024). "Fire consumes Copenhagen's 400-year-old stock market building". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ a b Milne, Richard (16 April 2024). "Denmark's historic stock exchange goes up in flames". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ a b Kirby, Paul (16 April 2024). "Historic Copenhagen stock exchange in Denmark goes up in flames". BBC. BBC News. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ "Copenhagen's historic stock exchange in flames". 16 April 2024 – via www.bbc.com.
- ^ "Historisk P.S. Krøyer-maleri reddes ud fra brændende Børsen". TV 2 (Denmark) (in Danish). TV 2 (Denmark). 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.