Cellar fire in Werne: Photovoltaic battery sets off fire alarm!

Cellar fire in Werne: Photovoltaic battery sets off fire alarm!

Werne – drama in a cellar!On Monday evening at 5:54 p.m. the Werne volunteer fire department was alerted - a suspected basement fire set off the alarm bells! A loud bang and a shrill smoke alarm turned the tranquil life on Bahnhofstrasse into a true horror. Fortunately, the building had already been evacuated when the first incident commander arrived and assessed the situation on site. A dangerous scenario: a burning lithium-ion battery storage unit from a photovoltaic system had ignited and caused thick clouds of smoke!

Fire brigade operation in full swing

The attack team from fire brigade 1 did everything they could to put out the flames. They secured the basement exit with a smoke curtain to prevent the dangerous smoke from penetrating further into the building. Wearing respiratory protection and equipped with a thermal imaging camera, they searched desperately for the burning battery. But the house's lungs blew thick clouds of intoxication and the situation worsened. To improve visibility and contain the flames, additional crews worked tirelessly while installing a water line from the fire hydrant. A race against time!

The firefighters fought against the flames of the lithium-ion storage device, which repeatedly ignited itself. Repeated attempts to extinguish the fire with gel extinguishers did not appear to completely control the fire as the respiratory protection team rotated from team to team. The air was thick enough - the Lünen fire department was called in to help cool the burning batteries with a special container. In fact, only a portable 600 liter container was necessary to defuse the dismantled battery outdoors and to clear the basement of the dangerous air mixture of fire smoke.

Last minute rescue

At 9:40 p.m., after several hours of burning danger, the all-clear was finally given. The site was handed over to the owner and the drama ended! In total, an incredible 38 brave firefighters, supported by emergency services and the police, were active and ensured safety. Bahnhofstrasse was closed to traffic throughout the operation. An estimated team of eight vehicles, including fire engines and the turntable ladder, were deployed. A mission that will be remembered, because one should never underestimate the dangers of a single battery storage system!