A large fire in a warehouse complex in southern Tehran has reignited longstanding concerns over building safety and sparked protests from the city’s fire department.

Jalal Maleki, the spokesperson for the Tehran Fire and Safety Services Organization, reported on Thursday that the blaze affected several large warehouses, each approximately 500 square meters in size, with an adjoining open space of about a thousand square meters also engulfed in flames.

Despite the intensity of the fire, which nearly caused the warehouse roof to collapse and damaged several containers, there were no casualties or fatalities reported.

Following the incident, Gholamreza Mohammadi, CEO of the Tehran Fire and Safety Services Organization, emphasized the ongoing challenges faced by firefighters due to restrictive laws that prevent them from entering buildings without owner permission to conduct safety inspections.

In response, the organization is calling for legislative changes to empower firefighters as authorized officers to enforce safety measures without needing owner consent. If enacted, the laws would allow the fire department to seal buildings that fail to comply with safety requests.

The incident highlights a broader issue of safety negligence, particularly in Tehran, where unsafe buildings continue to pose significant risks.

Earlier, Mehdi Pirhadi, a member of the Tehran City Council, highlighted a report identifying 35,000 unsafe buildings in the city, underscoring the urgency of addressing such hazards.

The fire department has frequently protested the high percentage of government buildings that are deemed unsafe, with previous statements indicating that up to 50% of such structures pose safety risks.

The recent fire serves as a critical reminder of the need for comprehensive safety reforms to protect lives and property in Iran’s capital.