Fire destroys historic village house in Tapionniemi, Finland
In the village of Tapionniemi in Kemijärvi, Finland, a fire on Saturday evening completely destroyed the culturally and historically significant village house Tapionniemen kyläkartano. The wooden building, covering around 400 square metres, had previously been a village school. It survived the war but did not survive the fire.
Fire spread to the upper floor
Village association chair Marjatta Pekkarinen, who saw the fire spread, said that the electrical panel had probably burned out, after which the flames spread to the attic structure and the upper floor. People staying in the accommodation facilities there heard the alarm and left the building.
As YLE News reports, a summer café and a venue serving lunches operated in the building throughout the year, while celebrations and other events were also held there. The café had been planned to remain open until the end of September. Representatives of the village association have already arranged a meeting with entrepreneurs regarding further activities.
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About a thousand visitors on the day of the fire
On the day of the fire, a harvest fair and other events were held at Tapionniemen kyläkartano. In total, about a thousand people attended them, and many young volunteers took part in the organisation.
Former school renovated through joint efforts
The school in Tapionniemi was built in early 1932 and closed in 1997. In 2017, the village association bought the building from the city of Kemijärvi for one euro and began renovating it with the help of volunteers. The site was subsequently named Tapionniemen kyläkartano.
With Leader funding, new windows, kitchen equipment, heat pumps and solar panels were installed in the building, while accommodation facilities were arranged on the upper floor. Entrepreneur Henna Jyrkkyä said that the community's activities are planned to continue despite the loss of the historic building.
