Single-family house in Wattens completely destroyed by fire – family managed to escape

According to the police, the 39-year-old had woken shortly before midnight due to a crackling sound. Through the front door she already saw an "orange-red glow," and when the 40-year-old opened the door, the flames already reached out towards him. The family then fled the building.

Escape from the house

According to the spokesperson, the woman and the two children were taken to the Innsbruck hospital for observation. Initial reports on Wednesday indicated that no life-threatening injuries had been sustained. The mother and the two toddlers aged one and two were also taken to hospital and given medical treatment.

In addition to the residents, a firefighter was also harmed: a firefighter was also taken to hospital with suspected smoke inhalation. Smoke inhalation injuries are a typical operational injury in residential house fires and require clinical monitoring.

Injured and hospital treatment

In addition to the house, the fire also completely destroyed two cars parked in front of it. The flames apparently engulfed the vehicles quickly, making any intervention there impossible as well. According to initial estimates, the property damage to the building and the cars is considerable; an exact figure was not initially given.

The firefighting operations dragged on for several hours. Ultimately, it was not until shortly before 6.00 a.m. that "fire out" could be reported. Only after the last embers had been extinguished were the emergency crews able to fully secure the fire scene and begin the cleanup work.

Firefighting operations drag on into the morning

Several fire brigades were on scene with a total of 129 personnel. In addition to the brigades from Wattens, fire brigades from neighbouring municipalities also supported the operation. Coordination was handled by the district alarm centre.

As of Wednesday morning, the cause of the fire was still the subject of investigations. The criminal investigation department of the Tyrolean State Office of Criminal Investigation has been called in to clarify the exact sequence of events. Experts are to examine the origin of the fire.

Two cars also destroyed

According to the information available, the burned-out house is no longer habitable. The family will need to be accommodated elsewhere for the time being. The municipality of Wattens and aid organisations have been informed in order to support those affected.

For the emergency services, the nighttime fire at 1,200 metres above sea level presented a particular challenge. The approach and the water supply on the sloping terrain required additional logistics. The temperatures and the heavy smoke development also made the firefighting operations more difficult.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing

On Wednesday, police asked local residents and any possible witnesses to come forward with information regarding the cause of the fire. Information is being received by the Wattens police station. It is particularly important to know whether anything unusual was observed around the house in the hours before the fire.

The incident occurred only a few days after a heatwave in Tyrol. Whether there is a connection to the dry conditions is the subject of the ongoing investigations. In recent weeks, there had been repeated smaller fires in Tyrol, including a case of set alight rubbish bins in Neumarkt.

High altitude as an additional hurdle

Overall, the operation shows how important functioning neighbourhood networks and rapid alerting chains are in rural areas. The family of four and their rescuers were lucky in their misfortune: despite the destruction of the house, everyone involved survived the fire.

The police and the fire service announced a detailed final report for the coming days. As soon as the results of the criminal investigation are available, the cause of the fire is to be communicated publicly.