Firefighters and police are working intensively to combat a large fire that broke out on Tuesday morning in a swimming pool in Aalborg, Denmark. Large amounts of black smoke are billowing from Svømmehallen Østre Allé (Eastern Allé Swimming Hall), prompting police to temporarily advise residents in the area to seek shelter indoors due to health risks from the smoke.

The epicenter of the fire has been identified as the roof of the swimming hall, where the blaze started and quickly spiraled out of control. Incident commander Nils Eltzholtz from Nordjyllands Beredskab (North Jutland Emergency Services) reports that the roof of the swimming hall has now collapsed, and it is clear that the entire building will burn down.

As the fire reached its peak, Nordjyllands Politi (North Jutland Police) issued a warning to residents in the streets surrounding the swimming hall, including Bornholmsgade and Fynsgade, advising them to close doors and windows as well as turn off ventilation systems. The warning was later lifted as firefighters gained control over the flames.

John Larsen, the chairman of Aalborg Svømmeklub (Aalborg Swimming Club), confirmed that the hall was empty when the fire started, and therefore no individuals were in danger. This has also been confirmed by police.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, and an investigation will be initiated once the firefighting efforts are completed. Incident commander Nils Eltzholtz describes the situation as one of the most extensive they have encountered in a long time, but emphasizes that the situation is now under control and that the danger to residents in the area has passed.