Big fire breaks out in northern Helsinki

A big fire raged in Finnish capital city of Helsinki on Wednesday evening, when Finns were celebrating the traditional Vappu Day. The fire broke out around 6 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) in Tattarisuo, northern Helsinki, and heavy smoke was visible in the air. Fire fighters reached the spot soon, and no casualties were reported. Two hours after the first alarm, the fire was under control. A helicopter was seen carrying water and pouring it onto the site. Policemen sealing off the area had no words on the cause of the accident. Helsinki Rescue Department said dozens of wrecked cars and a part of the forest were caught in the fire, and more cars and a large portion of the forest were at stake. Chief fire officer Keijo Mokkonen was quoted by Finnish media as saying that it still takes time to totally extinguish the fire and the fire-fighting work will continue until Thursday morning. The accident occurred when Finns were celebrating the May Day, or Vappu in Finnish, nationwide. The traditional festivities kick off on eve of May 1.