A blaze burns down a brand-new fire station in Germany that lacked fire alarms – WOKV
Germany Fire Firefighters try to extinguish a fire in a vehicle depot in Stadtallendorf, Germany, Wednesday Oct. 16, 2024. (Michael Rinde/dpa via AP) (Michael Rinde/AP)
BERLIN — (AP) — A brand-new fire station in Germany, which was destroyed in a fire, causing millions of euros in damage and destroyed equipment did not have a fire alarm system, local media reported Thursday.
The fire broke out early Wednesday morning at the Stadtallendorf fire station in Hesse and destroyed, among other things, the equipment hall and almost a dozen emergency vehicles, German news agency dpa reported. Initial estimates put the damage at between 20 million and 24 million euros ($21 million to $26 million). No one was injured.
Local officials told dpa that no fire alarm system was installed in the building because experts had considered it not necessary — much to the astonishment of many observers now that the station has burned down.
The fire broke out on an emergency vehicle belonging to the fire department, which contained lithium-ion batteries and an external power connection.
The station opened less than a year ago, local media reported.
“I believe that what has happened will make many people think and act,” about improving fire protection requirements at fire stations, Norbert Fischer, the head of the State Fire Brigade Association of the state of Hesse, told dpa.
Precisely because there is a lot of technology in fire stations and batteries are being charged, it would make sense to equip them with fire alarm systems, Fischer said, noting it was unclear whether such a system could have prevented the worst in Stadtallendorf.
“This fire spread at breakneck speed,” he said.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Your browser does not support HTML5 audio.
news
weather
traffic
Sign up below to be added to our mailing list for the latest news updates, access to exclusive contests, and more!
Everything you love about wokv.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.
Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!
© Cox Media Group. All Rights Reserved. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group.
You may be offline. Please check your connection and try again using the Retry button.
