Dramatic fire in Rankweil: apartment building in flames!

Dramatic fire in Rankweil: apartment building in flames!

On April 6, 2025, around 5:20 p.m. in an apartment building in Rankweil, a violent fire on the upper floor. When the police arrived, the upper floor was already in full fire. Fortunately, there were no more people in the building at this point, but the neighboring house was evacuated as a precaution in order to minimize potential risks. According to Vol.at , around 120 emergency services from the fire brigades from Rankweil, Zwegwasser, Götzis, Mäder and Meiningen were on site, including 15 vehicles. The fire brigade was able to quickly control the fire and prevent it from spreading to other buildings.

In the course of the extinguishing work, two people had to be admitted to the State Hospital Feldkirch with suspected flue gas poisoning. The cause of the fire has so far been unclear and a massive damage to property is assumed on the fire object. Six vehicles and 30 employees of the Red Cross and two strips of the federal police were also used for the emergency services. In addition, a police helicopter and a drone were used to support the measures to better understand the situation.

Statistical background to fire events

The fire breakouts in residential buildings also raise questions about the general causes of fire and fire statistics. As can be seen from the Feuertrutz statistics, there is no comprehensive and uniform fire statistics in Germany. Every year thousands of fires occur, many of them in residential buildings. The exact recording of such data could support the development of more effective fire protection measures.

The statistics also show that flue gas poisoning are a common consequence of fire events. This illustrates the importance of fast evacuation and timely access to a fire extinguisher and safety precautions. There are numerous publications and reports that enable a deeper analysis of this problem around the topic of fire protection.

The combined reaction of the fire brigade and the support of other emergency services shows the importance of a coordinated emergency strategy. In view of today's challenges in fire protection, it is crucial that such incidents are captured centrally in order not only to prevention but also reactive measures.