07/04/2026 – 09:00 AM
Schiffweiler (ots)
On Friday evening, 03.07.2026, around 10 p.m., all fire districts of the Schiffweiler fire department were alarmed together with the turntable ladder of the Neunkirchen fire department to a reported apartment fire with people rescue on Kreisstraße in Landsweiler.
Already on the way there, a strong smoke development was visible from afar. Upon the arrival of the first emergency responders, the fire was confirmed in an apartment on the first floor of a multi-family house.
Several teams wearing heavy respiratory protection immediately proceeded with rescue operations and fire fighting. Since it was initially unclear whether there were still people inside the burning apartment, the emergency responders forcibly gained access to the building from several sides. The apartment door was opened, and fire extinguishing efforts commenced immediately.
At the same time, the turntable ladder of the Neunkirchen fire brigade was positioned and an external attack was prepared. Additional breathing apparatus teams gained access to the rear area of the building via a flat roof in order to combat the fire from there as well.
Fortunately, during the course of the operation, it was determined that no person was still in the burning apartment. This clarified the initially unclear situation regarding the presence of people.
As a total of 24 people were registered in the building, fire brigade and police forces preemptively evacuated the entire apartment building. Due to the initially unclear situation, several ambulances and an emergency doctor were dispatched to the scene to ensure rapid medical care if needed.
After about an hour, the fire was under control and extinguished. Subsequently, extensive mop-up operations began as well as checks for remaining hotspots. Due to the damage, the apartment affected by the fire is currently uninhabitable.
During the operation, the district road had to be completely closed. The police were on site with several units and took over, among other things, the road closure.
To support the post-operation processing, the joint workshop of the fire departments Schiffweiler, Illingen, and Merchweiler was alerted and staffed with personnel from the other municipalities. There, the used breathing apparatuses were checked and made ready for operation again, and hoses and other equipment were cleaned and refurbished.
On site, Mayor Cedric Jochum, District Fire Inspector Michael Sieslack, and District Fire Chief Sascha Cattarius assessed the situation.
In total, 112 personnel from the fire department, emergency services, police, and energy suppliers were deployed.
