Apartment fire in Remscheid: one seriously injured, around 70 emergency personnel and an uninhabitable house

Neighbors pull injured person from apartment

Neighbors who noticed the fire entered the burning apartment and pulled the seriously injured resident into the hallway. Due to the heavy smoke, the escape route for several residents was blocked; they signaled for help from the windows.

The fire department rescued the trapped individuals with portable ladders and brought the seriously injured man outside under respiratory protection. A fire department spokesperson confirmed the use of a rescue helicopter: "A rescue helicopter was in use, a fire department spokesperson said."

Large operation with 70 personnel and helicopter

Due to the increasing number of emergency calls, the control center raised the alarm level and alerted around 70 emergency personnel. In addition to the Remscheid professional fire brigade, the volunteer fire brigades from the Nord, Hasten, and Morsbach fire departments, as well as the Information and Communication Unit (IuK), were deployed.

Due to the high number of affected individuals, the incident command declared a mass casualty incident and requested additional rescue personnel from Wuppertal. According to police, the critically injured resident of the fire apartment was flown by rescue helicopter to a specialized clinic for burn victims in Bochum.

Several other residents suffered minor smoke inhalation. In total, around 30 people had to be treated on the street. A public bus and personnel from the German Red Cross were deployed to assist the affected individuals.

Building uninhabitable – affected individuals housed elsewhere

The building became uninhabitable due to the fire. "All residents had to leave the house," the police reported. Emergency personnel were still on duty late into the evening, as a spokesperson confirmed: "Fire department and police are still on site."

Four residents were temporarily accommodated in a hotel. According to the incident command, the remaining tenants found shelter with relatives and friends.

Investigation into the cause of the fire launched

The police have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire. "Officers could not yet provide any information regarding the injured persons or the cause of the fire." Due to the risk of reignition in the roof structure, a fire truck was to remain on site overnight as a fire watch.

According to current findings, one resident was critically injured, and several others suffered minor injuries. Julius-Lindenberg-Straße remained partially closed for the duration of the operation. Residents were asked to avoid the area widely.