The fire department is on duty day and night. The fire in a spray products company in Braunschweig continues to concern the emergency services. The police cannot yet begin their investigation.
Braunschweig - The major fire in an industrial area in Braunschweig also kept the emergency services busy on Thursday. According to a fire department spokesman, there were pockets of embers until late afternoon. They were found using a drone and fought with a water cannon. There was also a truck with a trailer full of gas on the site. A specialist company arrived to burn off the gas with a mobile torch. A flame up to three meters high emerged, as the fire department spokesman said. “This is a controlled process to empty this tank trailer.” There is no danger to the population.
The cause of the fire is still unclear
The investigation into the cause of the fire will not begin until Friday at the earliest, a police spokesman said. Officials would have to wait until the fire has been fully extinguished. It is still unclear why the fire broke out.
Injured police officers, firefighters and cyclists
A total of six people were injured during the fire response. As the police announced on Thursday, a 56-year-old police officer was seriously injured by a cyclist when he asked him to stop at a barrier near the scene of the fire. According to the information, the 38-year-old cyclist continued driving and the two men collided and fell. The police officer suffered serious injuries and the cyclist suffered minor injuries. Two other police officers who were at the scene of the fire early suffered minor smoke inhalation. One firefighter suffered minor burns, another firefighter fell through a pressure wave and sustained minor injuries.
Spray products company
According to the fire department, the fire occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a company that develops and fills aerosols and spray products. There were several explosions and the area around the scene of the fire was cordoned off. The fire brigade fought the flames around the clock and the emergency services brought the fire under control on Wednesday. According to estimates by the fire department spokesman, around 200 firefighters were on duty at the height of the fire; on Thursday there were still 60 emergency services.
Rubble field
According to estimates by the fire brigade spokesman, the area was around two football fields in size and was severely damaged by the fire. The explosions caused buildings to collapse, including shelters similar to carports. “The three buildings that are still standing are in danger of collapsing,” said the spokesman. The fire caused chaos on the site. The emergency services began their initial clean-up work on Thursday. Another fire watch was planned for the night - with a water cannon ready for use. The situation will be reassessed on Friday morning, said the spokesman.
Warning of rivers with fire residues
After the major fire, the city of Braunschweig warned against entering the Wabe and Mittelriede rivers. She pointed out that fire extinguishing water got into the water with fire residue. The water should not be used for irrigation beforehand. Animals such as dogs should stay away from the water bodies and not drink water from them.
The environmental protection organization Greenpeace announced that it would analyze water samples from the Wabe and Mittelriede rivers. To do this, a team from Hamburg was supposed to take samples on Wednesday evening, as a spokesman for the environmental organization said. It is a response to the city's call not to enter the rivers, not to use the water and to keep animals away. “The laboratory results will be available in 14 days,” said the Greenpeace spokesman. dpa