Dramatic apartment fire in Krefeld: stroller ignites hallway!

On Saturday, January 11, 2025, the Krefeld fire department was alerted to a house fire in an apartment building on Lutherstrasse at 2:42 p.m. A caller reported a fire on the ground floor and reported people upstairs needing assistance. The units alerted included both the professional fire brigade and the volunteer fire brigade.

The fire that broke out in the entrance area was caused by a burning stroller. The fire caused significant smoke in the entire hallway area. The residents were able to escape outside in time, but came into contact with smoke gas. As a result, three children and five adults were taken to hospital for medical treatment to treat possible smoke inhalation.

Risks of smoke poisoning

Smoke poisoning is one of the most common causes of death in house fires, as reported on the Helferdienst.de website. The smoke from fires is toxic and the composition of the fumes can vary greatly depending on the materials burned. What is particularly worrying is the fact that carbon dioxide (CO2) can occur in lethal concentrations within a very short period of time in room fires.

The daily reports of victims of fire smoke show the urgency of the issue. Those affected absorb respiratory toxins when inhaling, which can lead to toxic pulmonary edema. It is important that patients with suspected smoke inhalation be monitored for at least 24 hours, even if they initially have few symptoms. Acute therapy consists of inhalation of oxygen, although treatment with cortisone-containing inhalants has recently become less important. Its benefit has not been clearly established and intravenous administration of cortisone is no longer recommended for bronchospasm.

These incidents highlight the dangers posed by smoke poisoning, particularly during the critical phase of a house fire.