From Iceland — Fire At Reykjavik's Beloved Perlan

Fire At Reykjavik’s Beloved Perlan

Published April 25, 2018

Andie Sophia Fontaine
Photo by
Art Bicnick

Fire struck one of Reykjavík’s most beloved landmarks, Perlan, and the cause of the blaze is at the time of this writing still unknown.

RÚV reports that the exterior housing ignited yesterday, prompting the immediate evacuation of everyone inside. No one was injured.

While the fire itself was not a tremendous blaze, two factors complicated firefighter efforts to extinguish it. For one, it spread through the insulation of the dome; and for another, the metal skeleton around the dome made it difficult for firefighters to get access.

There is no hard estimate on the level of damage done, but it may be considerable. Perlan housed a complex computer system, and an exhibition was expected to open soon.

As such, Perlan is closed for the time being. More updates to come as information comes in.

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