‘State of the art’ fire station burns down ... because it had no fire alarms

A multi-million euro fire station has burned down in western Germany along with ten fire engines on the site because it didn’t have any fire alarms installed. The new fire station, in Stadtallendorf, was hailed by the town’s local newspaper as a “modern, state-of-the-art” building when it opened last year. But just months later, Stadtallendorf firefighters and others in the region found themselves in the embarrassing situation of trying to put out a blaze at their own premises.

According to Oberhessische Presse, the local newspaper, the fire station had not been fitted with fire alarms when it was constructed. This was apparently due to the station being classified as an equipment storage location, which does not legally require the installation of fire alarms. “It is a nightmare for a firefighter.



No one wants to have to extinguish his own fire station,” Lars Schäfer, the district fire inspector, glumly told reporters after firefighters failed to bring the blaze under control. The fire has caused estimated damages of 20 million euros (£16 million) including the loss of ten fire engines. Some 170 firefighters, including local volunteers, were brought in to tackle the blaze, which involved flames that climbed as high as ten metres according to witnesses.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, but local reports suggested that it could have been a malfunctioning battery charger. A spokesman for the local authorities said the centre had at least been fitted with a fire protection wall, which stopped the blaze from spreading to other buildings. According to The Guardian, Mr Schäfer said the station had to be built as quickly as possible for “local morale” which could explain the absence of a fire alarm on the site.

The Hesse State Fire Brigade Association has called for an urgent review of the building regulations which allowed the station to be built without any fire alarms. Discussions are also being held on whether a replacement fire station should also have fire alarms installed, Mr Schäfer added..