B 180 - 2025

Report

On Sunday evening, a wildfire was initially reported in Börrstadt, prompting a large number of firefighting resources and personnel from the Winnweiler Municipal Association as well as from the neighboring Göllheim Municipal Association to respond. Heavy smoke was already visible as they approached the scene. The first responders from the Börrstadt and Steinbach units quickly determined that it was not a wildfire but a fire in a detached, unoccupied building in the middle of a wooded area. The fire had already spread to adjacent vegetation. As a result, the alarm level was raised.

Since the building and its entrances were completely overgrown, reconnaissance and the initial attack were difficult. At first, no direct visual contact with the building could be established, and the fire threatened to spread further to the surrounding vegetation. The Steinbach unit began firefighting operations on the north side with two C-hoses (Northern Operational Sector), while the Imsbach unit deployed two C-hoses from the south side to prevent the wildfire from spreading. In addition, the TLF 4000’s water cannon was deployed here. (Southern Operational Sector) The Börrstadt unit and the crew of the HLF 1 simultaneously began clearing access to the burning structure from the direction of the L 401 using a chainsaw and initiated firefighting operations while wearing self-contained breathing apparatus with two additional C-hoses. (L 401 Operational Sector) The Göllheim Fire Department provided support with two tanker trucks to ensure the water supply. The swap-body vehicle with the water supply roll-off container was also deployed for this purpose. (Water Supply Operational Sector)

Due to the large number of emergency vehicles, two staging areas (BSR) were set up. The North staging area at Theresienhof was managed by a vehicle from the Göllheim municipal association, while the South staging area near the sports field in Alsenbrück-Langmeil was managed by the Lohnsfeld unit. A water intake point was also set up at both locations, from which a shuttle service operated to the incident site. The size of the incident site also required the establishment of various operational sectors (see above). In addition to numerous firefighters, the standby ambulance from the Münchweiler branch of the German Red Cross (DRK) and the police were also on the scene.

As the hours passed, darkness set in, which is why the scene of the incident was extensively illuminated. Once the fire was brought under control, the emergency crews began dismantling the burning or charred sections of the building and thoroughly extinguishing the entire structure, which they achieved in part by using foam as an extinguishing agent. The drone unit supported the mop-up operations by providing aerial images from the thermal imaging camera and by illuminating the scene with spotlights. The Münchweiler unit provided logistical support with its multipurpose vehicle by supplying tracksuits for the emergency responders and transporting contaminated gear away from the scene. The Wartenberg unit ensured that the emergency responders were provided with snacks and beverages.

After the mop-up operations were completed, a fire watch from the Börrstadt Fire Department remained at the scene until approximately 1:00 a.m.