Special fire zone: fires in the shopping center have increased by one and a half times in five years

The number of fires in shopping malls has increased by 50% over the past five years, the Ministry of Emergency Situations told Izvestia. For example, 392 such cases were registered in 2024, and 426 in 2025. Since the beginning of this year, 55 fires have already occurred in the shopping center. Food courts, restaurants and bakeries are usually at high risk, experts say. About why the number of fires has increased and what safety rules are usually violated — in the Izvestia article.

Cases of fires in shopping malls

In Russia, the number of fires in shopping malls has increased one and a half times in five years, the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations told Izvestia.

"In 2024, 392 such fires were registered, in 2025 — 426, since the beginning of this year — 55," the department stated. "The main causes of fires are violations of the rules for the installation and operation of electrical equipment, careless handling of fire."

So, in early February 2026, the Shchelkovsky shopping center caught fire in the east of Moscow. The cause of the fire, previously, was a ventilation malfunction, where the fire started. At the same time, in St. Petersburg, fatty deposits in the hood caught fire in the kitchen of the Geese-Swans restaurant in the Capitol shopping center. For the same reason — fat deposits in the ventilation system of the food court — there was a fire in the building of the Moscow shopping mall "RIO" in January of this year. A similar case occurred at the end of December 2025 in one of the restaurants in the Oceania shopping and entertainment center in Moscow.

At the end of 2025, a fire also broke out in the Bayangol shopping center in Ulan-Ude (Buryatia), but its causes have not yet been reported. Nevertheless, the prosecutor's office organized mass inspections in the shopping centers of the republic. The supervisory authorities revealed numerous violations: cluttering of escape routes with foreign objects, malfunction of fire alarms, use of locks that exclude opening doors from the inside without keys. A number of shopping malls did not have primary fire protection equipment. The Prosecutor's Office issued 33 submissions on the elimination of violations of the law.

Planned danger: regions are required to budget expenses for emergency prevention

How will the changes affect work efficiency?

A similar inspection took place in Astrakhan in early 2026. According to the prosecutor's office, the fire protection system in two shopping malls was set up incorrectly — the manual mode was not automatic. Combustible materials were stored in the underground floor of one of the centers, ventilation chambers were not checked, and the internal fire-fighting water supply was serviced in violation of deadlines. In another shopping center, the condition of the fire-resistant coating of the building structure was not regularly checked, and there was no warning system in the cinema hall.

And the Primorsky Krai prosecutor's office appealed to the court, which in early 2026 banned the operation of the Shkolnaya shopping center due to violations of fire safety requirements. During the inspection, the supervisory authority found that the requirements for escape routes and exits were not met, and the fire protection system was faulty.

At the time of publication, the Union of Shopping Centers had not provided an operational comment on Izvestia's request.

Why has the number of fires increased

Food courts, restaurants and bakeries are usually the area of increased fire risk in shopping malls, and the source of fire is often located there, experts interviewed by Izvestia said.

— It is from these locations that fires often start.: The concentration of hot surfaces, open flames, powerful electrical appliances and flammable products in one place has an effect," said Grigory Gromakov, head of the Product Development department at Rockwool.

According to him, the key causes of fires are electrical malfunctions, safety violations during repair and construction work, as well as fatty deposits in the ventilation system.

Alexander Starostin, an expert on integrated safety and executive director of the Fire Center Group of companies, put neglect of cleaning grease traps or their complete absence in the first place among the causes of the fire, as well as untimely maintenance of the ventilation system.

"This leads to the accumulation of soot and fats, which are highly flammable," he explained. — In the second place — violations in the operation of electrical equipment or overload of power grids. Safety requirements are also often not met when working with deep-frying fats and when cooking over an open fire.

The risks are especially high if unsuitable construction and finishing materials were chosen when designing and equipping kitchen areas, Alexander Starostin added.

"For example, polymer insulation releases dangerous volatile substances when exposed to high temperatures, and ignites easily when in direct contact with fire," the expert said. — And when polyvinyl chloride is heated, hydrogen chloride is released. The resulting acrid smoke not only interferes with evacuation and saving lives, but also seriously harms health — a few deep breaths are enough for poisoning.

Chilling relaxation: how to ensure safety during ice-floating

Regulation has not yet kept pace with the popularity of entertainment

To reduce risks and reduce possible damage, owners of catering outlets and the administration of shopping centers should pay attention to the choice of materials for construction and decoration, said Grigory Gromakov.

"Strict control over the installation work is also necessary," he said.

Sofya Lukinova, Head of the Legal Department of VMT Consult, noted that among the reasons for the increase in the number of such incidents is savings on fire safety.

"Tragedies begin with the desire to save money, for example, by using cheaper building materials or neglecting their impregnation," she said. — Another reason is the insufficient regulation of areas of responsibility and, as a rule, the shifting of this very responsibility.

Hence, there is a formal approach from both the administration and the tenants, she added. According to the expert, fire safety is usually the responsibility of the owners of the shopping center, the heads of the organizations on whose territory the incident occurred, as well as officials who are officially responsible under the contract.