Second Moscow region mall fire in four days leaves one injured

A fire broke out Monday morning at the Stroypark shopping center in the Moscow suburb of Balashikha.

According to Russia’s Emergency Services Ministry, construction materials caught on fire outdoors before the flames spread to the mall’s interior.

At its peak, the fire reportedly covered an area of 9,000 square meters (nearly 100,000 square feet). Mall customers and employees were evacuated from the premises. At least one person, a security guard, is reported to have been injured.

Russian authorities reported that the fire was caused by a short circuit resulting from rain.

On December 9, the hardware store OBI at Moscow’s suburban Mega Khimki mall was almost completely destroyed by a 17,000-square-meter (183,000-square-foot) fire. One person was killed.