Firefighters put out blaze at Stockholm’s historic wine warehouse

Firefighters from seven stations were dispatched to fight a blaze at the Grönstedska palatset building in Stockholm on Wednesday. 

The fire started on the fifth floor and several people evacuated before emergency services turned up. No one was injured.

The sight of firetrucks at the iconic building sparked fears that it would go up in flames like Copenhagen’s old stock exchange did last month, but fortunately Grönstedtska seems to have avoided that fate.

Police confirmed just before 8pm that the fire had been extinguished. 

Grönstedtska palatset was between 1923 and 1967 the headquarters and main warehouse for Vin & Sprit, formerly a state-owned Swedish alcohol company which was sold to Pernod in 2008. 

It carries a so-called “class blue” label, handed to it by Stockholm City Museum. Class blue is the top classification for culturally and historically important buildings.

Swedish vocabulary: fifth floor – femte våningen

Risk of wildfires as sun and wind create tinder-dry conditions

There’s a risk of wildfires in practically all of Sweden at the moment, including forest fires in southern and central parts of the country, and grass fires in the north, warns weather forecaster SMHI. The dry weather in combination with wind increases the risk significantly.

Firefighters have already been called out to several fires, and two helicopters were dispatched to put out a forest fire in Hälsingland on Wednesday.

Keep up with current weather warnings via SMHI’s website and don’t forget to check whether there’s a fire ban in place before organising a barbecue.

Swedish vocabulary: a forest fire – en skogsbrand

Teenager held over murder of 39-year-old dad in Skärholmen

An 18-year-old man has been remanded in custody on suspicion of killing a 39-year-old man in the Stockholm suburb of Skärholmen.

The 39-year-old was shot dead in front of his son, on their way to the swimming pool on April 10th, after he told off a group of youths.

The suspect, who was 17 at the time, has since April been in custody in connection with another case. He is suspected of kidnapping and attempted murder after an incident which left an underage boy with gunshot wounds in Skärholmen in December 2023. 

Another two teens are in custody on suspicion of protecting a criminal and a third boy is suspected of aggravated weapons offences.

Another two people are suspected of involvement but are not in custody.

The 18-year-old denies the murder allegations.

Swedish vocabulary: remanded in custody – häktad

Stockholm restaurant Taverna Brillo files for bankruptcy

Taverna Brillo, a popular restaurant at Stockholm’s posh Stureplan square, has filed for bankruptcy, reports Dagens industri.

Brillo was started by restaurant company Svenska Brasserier, which runs several restaurants in Stockholm, including Riche, Gondolen and Sturehof. Serving Italian-Swedish fusion cuisine, it opened in 2011 and is among the more well-known places in the Swedish capital.

But it’s been struggling financially since last year, after which it brought in new co-owners and restaurateurs to no avail.

“It’s no secret that Taverna Brillo has been struggling to turn a profit for some time. Unfortunately we have not managed to turn things around,” Michael Porseryd, CEO of Svenska Brasserier, told Dagens industri.

Swedish vocabulary: file for bankruptcy – ansöka om konkurs

Swedish PM won’t end Sweden Democrats collaboration over ‘troll factory’

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has no plans to break off the government’s collaboration with the Sweden Democrats, he told a press conference, after an undercover investigation revealed that the party had been running a so-called “troll factory”.

During a party leader debate in parliament, Kristersson, from the Moderates, was asked whether he, as prime minister, would put any pressure on the Sweden Democrats to stop using the anonymous accounts, which had been used to spread content of benefit to the party and degrade its political opponents.

He replied saying that he cannot make demands or take responsibility for the actions of the Sweden Democrats’ communications department.

“If your real question is: ‘Do you want to stop working together to solve Sweden’s major problems because I have strong objections to smear campaigns in Swedish politics’, then the answer is no,” he said.

He did, however, say that he had discussed the issue with Åkesson both in public and in private.

“[I’ve told him] that I dislike smear campaigns, that they need to answer legitimate questions put to them by the media, political opponents and coalition partners. And that I dislike anonymous accounts.”

Swedish vocabulary: no – nej