Fire stations are probably the last places likely to be devastated by fire. Yet this is what happened in Stadtallendorf, Germany. A barracks inaugurated in January was largely destroyed on Wednesday October 16, 2024, reports local media Upper Hessian press relayed by BFMTV .
According to German police, the fire started early in the morning, near a tanker truck, before spreading to the entire building. The flames particularly attacked the hall where the other vehicles were parked, which all burned. 170 firefighters from neighboring towns were mobilized for hours to try to put an end to it. “It’s a nightmare for a firefighter. No one wants to have to put out their own barracks,” said the district fire inspector.
No alarm system
The incident caused no injuries, but caused considerable damage, the cost of which was estimated at more than 20 million euros. A shock for Stadtallendorf, especially since this barracks had only been occupied since December 2023 after renovations which had already required 16 million euros of work to make it an ultra-modern complex.
However, the site lacked a fire detection system, alarm or even video surveillance. According to local media, this lack of equipment was however in compliance with the law because it was classified as an equipment warehouse and not as a fire station. After the disaster, the president of the firefighters’ association called for an urgent modification of the legal obligations in this area.
A technical failure
According to experts, the fire could have occurred following a technical failure. The criminal trail is therefore not being considered by investigators for the moment, as indicated by local radio FFH . “The fire broke out on a fire brigade response vehicle, in which lithium-ion batteries and an external power socket were located,” police said.
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