Fire Contained at Abandoned Iran Cinema on Lalehzar Street

A large fire that broke out early this morning at an abandoned cinema on Tehran’s Lalehzar Street has been brought under control, with no injuries reported so far, according to the Tehran Fire Department.

To report https://www.ilna.ir/Speaking to reporters, Seyed Jalal Maleki, spokesperson for the Tehran Fire and Safety Services Organization, said the incident was reported at 6:56 a.m. on Friday, December 13, 2025, involving a fire at a deserted, old cinema located on Lalehzar Street, near Revolution (Enghelab) Street. Immediately after the alert, five fire stations, along with hydraulic ladder trucks and breathing apparatus units, were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters arrived within approximately three minutes.

Maleki explained that the site of the blaze was a very old two‑story cinema with sloped roofs and wooden beam structures, which were fully engulfed in flames upon the arrival of firefighters. Due to the nature of the building’s structure, the fire spread rapidly and extended to several neighboring warehouses, which also had similar sloped roofing.

According to him, an estimated 700 to 800 square meters of roofing were affected by the fire, with parts of the structure suffering serious damage and partial collapse. The large surface area of the roofs and the presence of wooden beams significantly intensified the blaze and complicated firefighting operations.

He added that in the adjacent warehouses, large quantities of stored goods had been placed along stairways, obstructing access routes and making firefighting efforts more difficult. Despite these challenges, firefighters managed to control most of the flames and carry out extensive overhaul operations.

Maleki emphasized that no injuries or fatalities have been reported so far and no major operational issues occurred during the response. Firefighting crews are currently in the final stages of extinguishing the fire and securing the area, with the majority of the blaze already contained.

According to the Municipality’s Information Center, Iran Cinema, one of Tehran’s historic cinemas located on Lalehzar Street, was established in 1956 with a seating capacity of approximately 1,200. The cinema was removed from operation in 1991 by order of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and has remained abandoned in recent years.