Template:POTD/2008-05-10
The VR warehouses, a group of old red brick warehouses in the centre of Helsinki, Finland, on fire, May 5, 2006. This event had been preceded by the May Day riots just a few days earlier. Some people decided to set up a bonfire between the warehouses in the night of May 1. The fire almost got to the warehouses, and when firefighters tried to put it out, they were attacked by rioters. Riot police were dispatched to protect the firemen; the riot police likewise had stones thrown at them. At first, it was widely believed that the fire was a case of arson, but in July 2006 police concluded that it had been an accidental fire that smouldered for several hours before suddenly breaking out across a large part of the building.Photo credit: Petteri Sulonen