At the time of publication, the fire covered roughly 4,000 square meters (43,056 square feet) in Balashikha, one of the largest cities outside Moscow.

 Aug. 31, 2025

A major fire has erupted at a chemical warehouse in Russia’s Balashikha, a city outside Moscow, on Sunday morning.

Russia’s Emergency Service announced the fire at around 9:48 a.m. local time, which it said was located on Zvezdnaya Street, 11.

Russian independent outlet Astra noted the street is located in an industrial zone filled with warehouses, with the Balashikha Experimental Chemical Plant (BOKhZ) located on the same street.

In footage and photos shared by Astra, thick plumes of black smoke could be seen rising into the air, covering at least a few blocks.

Astra said explosions could also be heard during the fire.

https://t.me/astrapress/91077?single

According to the Russian Emergency Service, a fire spanning 4,000 square meters (43,056 square feet) broke out, with no casualties reported.

It said over 80 specialists and 30 pieces of equipment, including Mi-8 and Ka-32 helicopters, were deployed to extinguish it amid heavy smoke and high flammable loads.

Balashikha is located 14 kilometers (10 miles) just east of Moscow and is the city with the highest population within the Moscow region (excluding Moscow itself).

The cause for the fire remains unclear.

Ukrainian drones were not reported in the area before the incident, according to available reports.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/59213