Enlarge image
A firefighter inspects the burned-out apartments:
Photo:
INA FASSBENDER / AFP
NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst expressed his sympathy to those affected after the major fire in a residential complex in the Ruhr area.
"The news from Essen is shocking," said the CDU politician.
"Many people have lost their homes and belongings overnight."
Wüst announced that he had contacted the Lord Mayor of Essen and fellow party member Thomas Kufen about the fire disaster.
"My big thanks go to the emergency services on site who are still fighting the fire," Wüst wrote.
Kufen was relieved that apparently no one died in the fire.
That was "not a matter of course with this fire of this magnitude," he said.
Nobody is missing - "thanks to the commitment of the neighbors, but also to the forces of our fire brigade and rescue service".
He is very proud of that.
At least three people had to be treated for smoke inhalation after the fire.
According to the city, 35 units in the complex with 39 apartments burned down completely.
A good hundred residents were affected by the fire, and more than 150 emergency services fought the flames on site.
Fire probably spread across the facade
The SPD's top candidate for the upcoming NRW state elections, Thomas Kutschaty, said: "Terrible pictures this morning from my hometown." He thanks all the rescuers and helpers who helped "put out the fire on Bargmannstrasse at the risk of their lives."
The city administration announced that it now wants to take care of the accommodation of people who cannot go back to their apartments.
Mayor Kufen said: "A citizens' hotline has been set up and a donation account is currently being set up." Those affected were cared for at a collection point in the lecture hall center of the university.
Medication, toiletries and clothing should be provided.
What role did insulation play?
The housing company Vivawest also promised support for the around 100 tenants of the burned-down apartments.
The housing company announced that they wanted to take care of hotel rooms at short notice and assume the costs for them.
Meanwhile, the police have announced that they want to investigate the cause of the fire.
The Vice President of the German Fire Brigade Association, Frank Hachemer, speculates that the devastating fire could have spread to the outside of the building - possibly via facade insulation.
A spread inside is also hardly possible due to the current fire protection regulations.
»The ceilings themselves are firewalls that cannot actually be broken through easily, so that a fire usually stays trapped in a room.«
Fire brigade surprised by the extent
"The massive spread of the fire surprised all emergency services," said an Essen fire department spokesman.
As a rule, modern buildings had fire barriers.
It must be investigated why the fire was able to spread in this case.
The severe storm during the night is likely to have further fueled the flames.
The destroyed residential complex is a new building from 2015, which according to the company Vivawest was equipped with fire doors to prevent the rapid spread of a fire in accordance with building regulations.
The fire doors were last serviced in March 2021, a company spokesman told the dpa news agency.
And: The insulation of the house is mainly done with mineral fiber boards because they are less susceptible to fire than polysterol insulation materials.
apr/dpa