On February 25, 2026, at approximately 2:22 AM, a fire broke out in a two-story residential building located on Žagienės Street in the village of Pažagienių, Panevėžys district, Lithuania. Smoke began to billow from an apartment on the first floor, prompting firefighters to spring into action. A team equipped with breathing apparatuses arrived on the scene shortly after the smoke was detected, with a second team joining shortly thereafter.

By 2:39 AM, firefighters managed to rescue a conscious man from the bathroom of the smoke-filled apartment, and he was quickly handed over to ambulance personnel for medical evaluation before being transported to a medical facility. In addition, two other residents from an apartment on the second floor were safely escorted to safety without injuries. The building, which consists of two stairwells and ten apartments, suffered damage during the incident; a room measuring approximately 5 by 4 meters was burned, and the entire apartment experienced thermal damage.

The investigation revealed that there were no smoke detectors installed in the apartment where the fire occurred, and the electricity had been disconnected. This incident raises concerns about fire safety in residential buildings, particularly emphasizing the importance of having functional smoke detectors to prevent potential tragedies in the future.