Asylum seekers help the fire brigade in urgent operations in Augsburg!

Asylum seekers help the fire brigade in urgent operations in Augsburg!

On April 10, 2025, shortly before 6:45 p.m., there was a major fire in a clubhouse at the Steinernen Furt in Augsburg, Bavaria. The Augsburg professional fire department and the Oberhausen volunteer fire department were alerted after several emergency calls were received. A clear development of smoke was already visible during the journey, which indicated the extent of the fire. The affected clubhouse, a former crab breeding facility, had a large area of ​​around 20 meters by 10 meters and was largely made of wood. This meant that the building was in danger of collapsing when the fire department arrived.

Within a very short time, eight respiratory protection wearers were deployed to support the extinguishing work with three C-compressed air foam pipes. In order to ensure the water supply, a stretch of hose several hundred meters long had to be laid. Particularly noteworthy was the support of six asylum seekers from the accommodation at the Steinerne Furt, who helped set up the hose route. This solidarity campaign highlights the importance of migrants' engagement in society.

Integration and teamwork

The incident shows once again how important it is to integrate people with a migrant background into various areas of society, including the fire department. In Bavaria, over 330,000 people are active in fire departments, although the proportion of migrants is only around 1%. Migrants often bring special language skills and cultural knowledge with them, which can enrich the community. Integration is therefore seen as necessary to promote a more diverse and effective fire service. The volunteer fire departments play a key role in building communities and integrating new residents.

The fire in Augsburg not only required the physical presence of the fire department, but also emphasized community and teamwork. The Augsburg fire department, which was founded in 1849 and is the oldest fire department in Bavaria, consists of around 800 firefighters. These are available both on a voluntary basis and full-time to provide assistance in the event of fires, traffic accidents and other emergencies. The Augsburg City Fire Brigade Association e. V. represents the interests of fire brigade members and organizes the various member fire brigades in the region.

Further measures after the fire

After the fire was extinguished, a fire inspection was carried out around midnight to check for embers. During the operation, compressed gas cylinders (O2) also had to be cooled and recovered due to the high temperatures. The entire incident highlights the challenges that fire departments face not only when extinguishing fires, but also when involving helpers from a wide variety of backgrounds.

The Augsburg fire department remains an essential part of the city's security architecture and continues to be enriched by the integration of people from different cultures. These incidents demonstrate that people from around the world can come together to support and protect a common cause.