The fire on the second floor of the building was initially reported to the Neunkirchen fire department around 3 a.m. as a simple cable fire. However, when the first firefighters from the Neunkirchen city center and Wellesweiler fire districts arrived with their fire trucks on Hospital Street, they were faced with a much larger blaze. Thick smoke billowed out towards the street and also from the windows of the burning apartment on the back side, later followed by flames.
The fire was discovered by the two residents of the apartment. Quickly thinking, they also woke the other three occupants present, left the house together with them, and called emergency services. All five escaped unharmed and remained uninjured. Fires occurring in the so-called second half of the night are considered particularly dangerous because they catch people while they are asleep. The toxic smoke from a fire cannot be detected during sleep and leads to unconsciousness and eventually death after only a few breaths. For this reason, smoke detectors, which are now mandatory in apartments, are of great importance, as their loud alarm sound can wake people even from deep sleep and alert them.
Immediately upon their arrival, two two-person teams equipped with breathing apparatus entered the building. Since all residents had already left, the firefighters were able to fully concentrate on extinguishing the fire, which quickly showed success. Due to the intense flames coming from a window at the rear of the building, an external firefighting attack was prepared to prevent the fire from spreading to the roof. Around 3:30 a.m., the firefighters reported "fire under control," and finally at 4 a.m. "fire out."
Due to fire damage, one of the apartments in the building is no longer habitable. Early in the morning, the city administration sought emergency accommodation for two residents. Three other residents, at their own request, remained in the house, which was temporarily without power for safety reasons.
Around five o'clock in the morning, the last of the approximately 30 firefighters were able to leave the scene. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the police. One firefighter was slightly injured during the extinguishing efforts and had to visit a hospital as a precaution after the operation.
