Fire service: prams and bicycles must not be left in apartment building stairwells

Latvia's State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) has reminded apartment building residents that prams, bicycles, small cabinets, furniture and other belongings may not be kept in stairwells. The service explained this after a reader asked the Latvijas Avīze news portal la.lv about the matter. The woman is concerned that neighbours in her building constantly leave prams in the stairwell, and asked what would happen in a fire and whether prams may be stored in shared areas at all.

What the rules say

VUGD states that, from a fire safety standpoint, evacuation routes must remain freely accessible so that people can leave a building quickly and without obstacles in case of fire or another threat.

The third part of Article 6 of the Law on Fire Safety, Firefighting and Rescue Work prohibits placing items, furniture or equipment on an evacuation route if they reduce the route's width set by building regulations. Requirements for stairwells are more specific: point 8 of Section 246 of the Fire Safety Regulations bans placing items, furniture, equipment and other materials in stairwells, as well as directly beneath open staircases, flights of stairs and landings.

Also important for rescuers

The service stresses that a clear route is needed not only for residents. In a fire, emergency personnel must also be able to move through the building and carry out rescue and firefighting work. Even a seemingly minor obstacle can hinder movement and raise the risk to people's health and lives.

Violations are not rare

VUGD carries out fire safety inspections in the residential sector every year, because a large share of tragic fires in which people die or are injured occur in homes. In 2024, inspectors found items placed on evacuation routes – in stairwells, under flights of stairs and on landings – in 14.83% of cases. They also identified unauthorised construction and doors on evacuation routes that could not be opened easily and without delay from inside.

The service urges residents to consider what they leave in shared areas, since a convenient spot for a pram or bicycle in daily life can obstruct both residents and rescuers in an emergency.