Vietnam’s Most Devastating Fires of 2025: A Year in Review
In 2025, a devastating wave of fires swept across the nation, engulfing apartment complexes, homes in cramped alleys, restaurants, and workshops. These infernos resulted in tragic loss of life, left families in deep anguish, and exposed critical weaknesses in existing fire prevention and control measures.
A devastating fire, sparked by an electrical short circuit from makeshift wiring on the ground floor, was exacerbated by critical structural flaws. The 2008-built structure lacked a ground-floor emergency exit, and illegal metal enclosures on balconies trapped residents inside, preventing escape.
On June 28, a fire at a recycling workshop in Ao Village, Hung Yen province, claimed six lives and injured two. The isolated workshop, surrounded by plywood factories, highlights the dangers of such facilities operating near residential areas.
Initial investigations reveal a gas pipeline explosion as the cause. This incident underscores the risks of recycling workshops near homes, the critical need for fire prevention, and the gaps in fire safety management and oversight.
On October 11, a fire in a four-storey house in Hanoi’s Kim Hoa Street claimed five lives. Starting on the ground floor, fueled by an electric bike and petrol motorbikes, the blaze produced thick smoke, forcing residents to retreat with no escape route.
This tragedy highlights the fire risks in narrow “tube houses” with sealed iron fronts, leaving residents trapped without escape routes, emphasizing the need for better fire prevention and control measures.
On September 16, a fire in an illegally built structure in Hanoi’s Thuong Tin Commune killed four family members, including a four-month-old baby. The structure, storing flammable materials for mechanical work, posed extreme fire and explosion risks.
This incident underscores the need for stricter management of construction, especially unauthorized structures, and the importance of equipping households and businesses with fire prevention knowledge and equipment.
A pre-dawn fire at a Ho Chi Minh City eatery on December 5 killed four from smoke inhalation, with a young boy rescued in time. A solid rolling shutter blocked the only exit, complicating rescue efforts.
This fire emphasizes the critical need for fire prevention knowledge, skills, and secondary escape routes in mixed-use buildings to avoid deadly “fire trap” scenarios.
Jealousy fueled a deadly arson attack at a Thu Duc rental home on May 10, claiming three lives, highlighting the need for psychological support and community responsibility in fire prevention.
