- An explosion at a ground-floor cafe in central Nea Ionia triggered a massive fire around 4:30 a.m. on Monday, rapidly engulfing a three-story apartment building housing at least 16 apartments.
- 18 firefighters operating 5 engines and a specialized ladder platform evacuated residents trapped by thick smoke, including several who fled to the rooftop.
- Six residents from neighboring floors required direct assistance, while panicked families described flames racing up balconies and filling hallways with blinding smoke within minutes.
- The Athens Arson Crimes Investigation Unit has launched an official inquiry into the blast, noting that the cafe was previously the site of a 2023 shooting incident.
A major fire destroyed much of a three-story apartment building in Nea Ionia, northern Athens, early Monday morning after a blaze broke out at a ground-floor café.
The fire was reported at around 4:30 a.m. on September 28, while residents were asleep. Flames spread rapidly from the café to the apartments above, forcing people to evacuate through thick smoke. Several residents were eventually rescued from the building’s rooftop after they couldn’t use the stairs.
The building contains at least 16 apartments, according to reports.
Residents Heard Explosions Before the Fire
Several residents told Greek media that they heard loud explosions shortly before the fire became visible.
One resident said he and his wife initially thought the sounds might have been connected to rubbish collection before realizing that the building was on fire. Another described flames reaching their apartment balcony.
Some residents managed to leave through the main entrance, while others moved to the roof because smoke made the stairwell difficult or impossible to use. Firefighters subsequently brought those residents to safety.
The reports of multiple explosions remain witness accounts. They do not, by themselves, establish what caused the fire.
Eighteen Firefighters Responded
The Fire Brigade sent 18 firefighters with five vehicles, including specialist ladder and platform equipment, to the scene.
The building was evacuated, and firefighters helped six people from the upper floors get out safely, according to the Fire Brigade’s account.
The café was destroyed, while the fire caused extensive damage to apartments on the three floors above it. ERT reported that the apartments on all three floors were affected and that one side of the building had suffered particularly extensive destruction.
Authorities Are Investigating Possible Arson
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Early reports referred simply to an unexplained explosion or possible causes including a gas cylinder. Later Monday, however, ERT reported that authorities were treating arson involving a flammable substance as the leading scenario, citing the investigation and reports of suspicious findings at the scene.
That remains an investigative scenario, not a confirmed finding.
The Athens Fire Investigation Unit has been involved in determining how the fire started, while other reports say police investigators are also examining the circumstances.
The Café Has a Violent History
The premises are also known because of a shooting in February 2023, when a violent incident at the café left one person dead. Greek media reported that authorities later examined the location in connection with that earlier incident.
That history may become relevant to the current investigation if authorities establish a connection, but there is currently no basis to state that the two incidents are connected.
There were no reports in the sources reviewed of fatalities from Monday’s fire, but the material damage to the building was extensive, and residents were forced out of their homes in the middle of the night.
The incident is another reminder of how quickly a fire in a ground-floor commercial premises can become a serious threat when apartments are directly above it.
For anyone staying in an apartment or hotel in Greece — particularly in an older urban building — the practical lesson is familiar: know where the exits are, and don’t assume the main stairwell will remain usable in a fire.
The investigation in Nea Ionia continues, and authorities have not yet officially established the exact cause of the fire.
