COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CN) — Copenhagen's iconic stock exchange building Børsen caught fire at 7:30 a.m. (1:30 a.m. EDT) Tuesday, and authorities continued trying to secure the area and save historic valuables and paintings as the blaze burned inside.
Part of the roof collapsed early in the morning, and so did Børsen’s impressive spire with four dragon tails — originally meant to protect the building from enemies and burning.
There were no reported injuries.
Police, capital fire services and about 90 soldiers from the infantry regiment Royal Life Guards worked to extinguish the flames while people, including politicians, soldiers and civilians, ran in and out of the main floor to save national treasures, such as a famous P. S. Krøyer oil painting. Officials from the National Museum and the Danish National Archives were then securing objects in bubble wrap and whisking them away to safety.
With the fire, Denmark risked losing an irreplaceable part of the country’s cultural and societal heritage, according to a visibly emotional Brian Mikkelsen, CEO at the Danish Chamber of Commerce, which has its seat in the historic building.
Mikkelsen called the incident “unbearable” at a news conference.
“This is probably the most tragic day of my life. The building was made by King Christian IV centuries ago, and it has been a historic trade center in the north, generating workplaces, innovation, [and] investments and housed all the biggest Danish companies,” he said.
Børsen dates to the 17th century and is located in Copenhagen’s city center, just 300 meters from the Danish Parliament, Christiansborg.
Børsen had been under long-term renovation with plastic and scaffolding covering its sides. Carpenters and other workers got out safely before the fire spread significantly. The cause is still unknown, and authorities said they would launch a larger investigation in the coming days.
Bjarke Pedersen, a local watching the fire from a safe distance, said it was the biggest blaze he has ever seen.
“It is hard to understand that this building which has been here for 400 years is now just burning away,” he said. Pedersen heard the news from a friend, and like many others in the central capital area, he went to see the sight for himself.
Firefighters faced a complex task, as copper on the roof trapped heat inside. The flames could still spread, according to national broadcaster DR, because the old building is not divided into different sections like newer construction.
During the day, firefighters poured thousands of gallons of water on the fire. Around noon, fire emergency manager Jacob Vedsted Andersen said that the situation was under control, although firefighters will continue extinguishing new flames in closed interior spaces over the next 24 hours.
He estimated that half of the building, facing the harbor area, would be saved.
Denmark’s King Frederik X thanked rescuers on Instagram and “everyone who had worked since early morning to ensure that no one got hurt, and who fought to save as much as possible out of the building, as well as the many cultural treasures and art pieces.”
Normally, there are 400 employees at Børsen, a key historic and architectural site in Copenhagen. In September, it was meant to celebrate its restoration and fourth-century anniversary.
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.
