Frederik Hansen, a 41-year-old stage technician from Østerbro, experienced a dramatic fire in his building on Skarøgade on Monday evening. Upon returning home from work, he was warned by a woman about flames coming from the roof. With a grocery bag in hand, he hurried to his 85-year-old neighbor’s apartment to ensure she got out safely. He then assisted in evacuating other residents.

When Frederik made it outside, he witnessed towering flames spilling from the roof, despite the emergency services quickly being alerted to the fire. He never returned to his own apartment and had to wait outside until firefighters could report nearly an hour later that the flames were under control. Frederik felt relief that both he and his cat emerged unharmed from the fierce blaze. However, he remains deeply affected by the incident. “I completely broke down when I got my cat back,” he said. The thought of what could have happened if his 8-year-old son had been home overwhelmed him.

On Tuesday morning, Frederik still faced uncertainty regarding the damage to his apartment. “Everything is probably wrecked from the water used by the firefighters,” he sighed, worrying whether he would have a home to return to. Frederik, who has previously experienced homelessness, has called the apartment on Skarøgade his home since late 2019. After many years of struggling for stable housing, it is painful for him to see his hard-earned home potentially destroyed.

Residents were evacuated to Svanemøllehallen, a local sports hall, where they could spend the night if they could not return home. While Frederik confronts the challenging task of rebuilding his home, he is most frustrated by the fact that he does not have renters’ insurance to assist him financially. The situation remains unclear, and he hopes for more concrete information from the residents’ association regarding housing assistance. “Physically, I am okay,” Frederik said, “but mentally, it’s a completely different story.”