One of Sweden’s most beloved bread factories burns to the ground

Featured image: Jens Ökvist / TT

It was early Monday morning that the factory of one of Sweden’s most beloved bread, Polarbröd, was burnt to the ground.

In a post Instagram post, Polarbröd writes:

“A large fire has occurred at Polarbröds bakery in Älvsbyn the night till Monday. The fire started on of the bakery’s conveyor belts and spread fast. At this moment, we don’t know how extensive the damages are.

It is unfortunate for Polarbröd but we are also grateful that no one was hurt. We are going to do everything in our power to make sure that all of you who love Polarbröd will be getting your deliveries.”

Located in Älvsbyn in northern Sweden, the factory makes more than 41,000 tonnes of bread every year. The well-known bread company is known for its soft baked bread which can typically be seen in Swedish dishes like renklämma, tunnbrödsrulle, and much more, making it the third-largest bread producer in Sweden.

According to Polarbröd, the fire is said to have started on a conveyor belt after a lump of bread had caught fire in the oven.

Firefighters were called on Sunday and spent the entire night trying to extinguish the flames, succeeding in the early hours of Monday morning. The factory, however, could not be saved.

Because of the poisonous gas spreading from the fire, residents of Älvsbyn were cautioned to keep ventilation, doors, and windows closed and to stay inside.

Daniel Granberg, a fire and rescue control room office to the Swedish news agency TT: “There is a cooling system that runs on ammonia gas which is a poisonous gas and harmful to breathe”.

Polarbröd is the largest employer in the little town of Älvsbyn with about 270 people employed at the factory. People who now risk being without work for a considerable amount of time.

According to The Local, CEO Karin Bodin, the fifth-generation owner of the family business said to Swedish radio, Ekot: “It is too early to say, but we can’t rule it out since the situation is what it is”.