Fire Engulfs Temporary Business Sheds in Hanoi Outskirts

A large fire broke out on the afternoon of September 11th along La Tinh - Duong Noi street in An Khanh xã, on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam's capital. The fire, believed to have originated from a bakery production facility, quickly spread through adjacent temporary business sheds constructed primarily with iron frames and corrugated iron, generating a massive smoke column tens of meters high. Although people were inside some shops at the time of the fire, all evacuated safely, and no casualties were reported. The Hanoi Police Department for Firefighting and Rescue dispatched approximately 10 fire trucks and dozens of officers, who worked to extinguish the blaze with water jets from multiple directions. By around 1 PM, the fire was brought under control, and efforts shifted to cooling and extinguishing remaining embers. At the scene, goods and equipment from businesses including water heater suppliers, mobile phone shops, cafes, and bakeries were destroyed and covered in black soot. At least five houses and workshops appear to have been affected by the spread of the fire. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. As Vietnam experiences economic growth, infrastructure development is progressing, particularly in urban areas. However, in suburban and rural regions, temporary structures and informal commercial activities remain prevalent. This structure carries the inherent risk of exacerbating damages in the event of accidents like fires. While rapid firefighting efforts in this incident minimized the damage, the safety management of temporary structures has once again emerged as a key issue.