Brian Jeffrey
In April 2025, numerous catastrophic fires broke out during the night, leading to a tragic loss of life. These incidents occurred in crowded residential neighborhoods, often in homes without alternative escape routes, which are vulnerable in emergencies. In just a brief moment, an inferno can devastate an entire household.
The latest incident occurred in the early hours of April 28 in Hanoi’s Hoang Mai District, claiming the lives of three individuals. At approximately 3:20 am, a fire engulfed a three-story house located at 87A, Alley 99/110/85, Dinh Cong Ha Street.
When the fire ignited, it spread swiftly, resulting in the death of the three residents. The house, situated in a narrow lane, had limited access and lacked a secondary escape route, a prevalent challenge in urban areas with improvised structures.
Earlier, on April 13, another fire occurred at dawn in Alley 14, Lane 69, Trung Liet Street (Trung Liet Ward, Don Da District, Hanoi), which resulted in the deaths of two people. The blaze started on the ground floor of a three-story residence and quickly intensified due to combustible materials inside. The residents were asleep, delaying their notice and complicating rescue efforts.
Upon receiving the emergency call, fire control teams dispatched specialized vehicles but faced challenges breaking in to assist the trapped victims. With the flames intensifying and the absence of a secondary escape route, rescuers could only approach from the front. Unfortunately, a couple in their mid-thirties was unable to escape and tragically lost their lives.
The fire was traced back to an electrical short circuit from a device on the first floor, serving as a grim reminder of the dangers posed by malfunctioning electrical appliances in aging homes, particularly during the night when surveillance is absent.
The problem of tightly secured homes without escape routes was evident in a fire incident in Tie Giang. Around 1:30 am on April 10, a house at 209/3 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, Ward 4, My Tho City, ignited. Neighbors heard cries for help but found the house locked from within.
By the time fire crews extinguished the blaze, all four residents had perished. The single-story structure with a mezzanine was deep in a narrow lane, making rescue operations during the nighttime fire exceedingly difficult.
On April 2, another fire broke out around 11:00 pm at house number 14, Lane 40, Dang Tran Duc Street, Thanh Tri Ward (Hoang Mai District, Hanoi), resulting in one fatality. When flames burst onto the first floor, blocking the main exit, a mother and her two children were able to escape through a window, aided by neighbors with a ladder.
During the rescue efforts, authorities discovered one victim, a family member, deceased on the first floor. The individual, who had heart disease and limited mobility, was unable to flee due to the fire blocking their exit route.
On the same day at 2:00 am, a fire erupted at a house on Mac Van Street, Xom Cui Ward, District 8, HCM City, claiming three lives while allowing five others to escape.
Most of these fires began at night, when residents are often unaware and cannot respond quickly to the sudden danger. Many affected homes didn’t meet fire safety regulations, featuring locked designs, inadequate escape routes, flammable materials, or obsolete electrical systems.
Fires pose a challenge to extinguish even during the day. Many households implement iron bars on windows, known as “chuong cop” (tiger cages), to deter theft, inadvertently trapping occupants during emergencies.
These unfortunate events highlight the urgent need for improved fire safety measures and better-designed homes. It’s critical to enhance fire prevention and safety protocols in residential areas, especially in dwellings serving dual purposes for business and living, and those located in narrow passages.
Officials advise households to equip themselves with essential firefighting tools, ensure availability of emergency escape routes, and install early fire detection systems to promptly identify risks, extinguish flames, and facilitate evacuations.
