Fire station without fire alarm burns down

A fire broke out on Wednesday at a new fire station in the city of Stadtallendorf in the German state of Hesse. While there were no injuries, the fire station, which opened in January 2024, and more than 10 fire trucks inside were reduced to ashes.

According to reports by DW Türkçe, information provided by the Gießen police indicates that investigations conducted by the Hesse State Criminal Police Office with the support of an expert found no signs of arson. The material damage caused by the fire, which was stated to have been caused by a technical issue, is estimated to be between 20 and 24 million euros.

According to the information provided, the fire started in a fire truck that contained lithium-ion batteries and was connected to an external power source.

THERE WAS NO FIRE ALARM

Stadtallendorf fire inspector Patrick Schulz stated in an interview with the German news agency dpa that there was no fire alarm installed in the building. Schulz said that an expert report was prepared during the construction process of the building, and it was concluded in that report that a fire alarm did not need to be installed at the station.

An official from the Hesse Ministry of the Interior noted that the installation of a fire alarm system at the facility in question was optional and that it was decided not to install such a system.

Norbert Fischer, President of the Hesse State Firefighters Association, emphasized the importance of increasing occupational safety at fire stations in his assessment of the incident. "I hope that the event that took place will make many people think and take action," he said.