Children playing outside spot balcony fire in Kohtla-Järve apartment block

Playing children prevented a potentially serious fire in Kohtla-Järve on Tuesday afternoon. The youngsters noticed smoke coming from a balcony of a nine-storey residential building on Pärna Street in the Järve district and alerted emergency services.

A quick-thinking group of children playing outdoors helped avert a potentially serious fire in Kohtla-Järve on Tuesday afternoon. At 15:51, emergency services received a call reporting that children had spotted smoke rising from a balcony of a nine-storey apartment building on Pärna Street in the Järve district of Kohtla-Järve.

The children's timely observation meant that the alarm was raised before the fire had a chance to spread further. Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene following the call, and the blaze was contained. The swift alert from the young bystanders is credited with preventing a far worse outcome in the densely populated residential block.

The incident highlights how attentive residents — even the youngest ones — can play a crucial role in fire safety. Authorities have not yet released full details on the cause of the balcony fire or the extent of the damage sustained.