Residential complex in Essen: An "unprecedented fire"

In Essen, a modern apartment building was largely destroyed by a devastating major fire early Monday morning and is in danger of collapsing.

The 128 residents were able to leave the burning building in time, three of them suffered from smoke inhalation and were taken to the hospital.

35 apartments burned out completely, four more were damaged by smoke and extinguishing water.

The fire brigade spoke of an "unprecedented fire".

On Monday afternoon, structural engineers announced that large parts of the block of flats are in danger of collapsing.

The fire has spread from a balcony.

As the fire brigade announced, the storm “Antonia” that raged during the night obviously ensured that the fire then spread rapidly across the facade and balconies that were in the wind.

The building with a façade length of around 65 meters and four and a half floors is equipped with a thermal insulation composite façade.

An eyewitness reported that the flames blazed up at the residential building within a short period of time and were literally whipped up by the wind.

"It was like an inferno."

39 apartments burned out

A spokesman for the fire brigade said that the "massive spread of fire" surprised the emergency services who were called shortly after two in the morning.

Normally there are fire barriers in modern buildings, so such a fire is actually not possible.

One of the central questions that experts deal with will therefore probably be whether these fire protection bars were installed properly.

The residential complex was a new construction of 2015, which was equipped with fire doors against the rapid spread of a fire, in accordance with the building regulations.

The fire protection doors were last serviced in March 2021, said a spokesman for the homeowner Vivawest Wohnen GmbH.

The insulation of the house is mainly done with mineral fiber boards because they are less susceptible to fire than polysterol insulation materials, said the spokesman.

The "WAZ" recently reported on a series of fires in the city.

There were three fires within a week in the Eltingviertel north of the city center.

The police want to start an investigation as soon as possible.

According to the fire department, the fire has not yet been extinguished.

Inside the building there are still individual flaring fire nests, said a fire department spokesman.

A spread of the fire to other surrounding buildings can now be ruled out.

Statements on the extent of the damage and even more on the cause of the fire are not yet possible, since the fire experts are not yet able to enter the building.

The major fire affected 39 apartments, said Vivawest Wohnen GmbH.

The company promised support to the 128 tenants of the burned-down apartments.

"We are deeply affected and wish the injured tenants a speedy recovery," said Uwe Eichner, CEO. 

"Within 20 minutes the whole house was on fire"

Three people were injured in the fire.

They were taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation.

According to Mayor Thomas Kufen (CDU), no one is missing.

The fire brigade was on site with 150 emergency services. 

NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) expressed his shock at the fire in a residential complex.

"The news from Essen is shocking," wrote the head of government on Twitter on Monday.

“Many people have lost their homes and belongings overnight.

I informed OB @TKufen about the situation in a telephone call.

My big thanks go to the emergency services on site who are still fighting the fire.”

About 180 residents from the burnt-out residential building and the surrounding buildings have been accommodated in a neighboring lecture hall center.

This included children, the elderly, people in wheelchairs, "the complete cross-section of ages," said the responsible section manager, Sebastian Smitmans, from the Malteser.

People "be calm" and calm.

Emergency counselors would offer talks. 

As a direct resident, 35-year-old Lennart Diedrich was one of the first eyewitnesses to the fire.

"It was around two o'clock when I wanted to go to bed and so I turned off the last lights and outside, 'Fire!

Fire!'

was shouted," reports Diedrich of the German Press Agency.

"And then I looked out the window and there was smoke coming out where the blinds were half mast.

So I said, 'Ok, this is more serious.'"

He tried to call the fire department, got dressed and ran outside.

“Then flames came blazing up from all the other side of the building.

It was like an inferno.

The wind whipped up the flames – sparks.” The first fire truck arrived shortly thereafter.

The firefighters ran into the house and then shouted: "We need help!" Diedrich followed the call together with two other people.

"Then the three of us ran up the staircase there.

And there was a wheelchair user who, of course, could no longer use the elevator and did not come down.

So the three of us carried it down.

Two in the back, I grabbed the front, carried him down.

Then the police came and everything was evacuated.”

Then it went incredibly fast.

"Within 20 minutes the whole house was on fire."

Due to the extinguishing work, there were obstructions in commuter traffic.

According to the fire brigade, Segerothstrasse and Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse in Essen's west district were completely closed.

The western quarter borders Essen's city center directly to the west.