Major fire in Recklinghausen: Massive column of smoke seen over Suderwich!

Major fire in Recklinghausen: Massive column of smoke seen over Suderwich!

In the morning of March 14, 2025, a major fire broke out in a thermal power plant in the Suderwich district of Recklinghausen, producing a massive column of smoke that was visible from afar. At 8:25 a.m., the Recklinghausen fire department alerted the emergency services to Maria-May-Straße. As soon as they arrived, the term “massive column of smoke” could be heard from the emergency services, which led to an immediate increase in the alarm keyword fireworld.at reported. When the fire brigade arrived, a hydraulic unit containing around 400 liters of hydraulic oil was on fire.

The fire department raised the cue to the fifth alert level in order to mobilize all available forces, including support from neighboring cities. Residents were informed via the NINA warning app and asked to keep windows and doors closed. Fortunately, all employees at the thermal power plant were able to get to safety in time and there were no injuries. At 10:10 a.m. the warning was lifted after the fire department successfully used a drone to assess the situation ruhr24.de added.

Firefighting and investigations

At around 11:00 a.m. the fire brigade reported that the fire was under control, but extensive extinguishing work remained necessary. Emergency services used both extinguishing water and extinguishing foam to finally combat the flames. The operation lasted until around 12:15 p.m., while the police have now started investigating the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage. It is believed that the fire broke out during maintenance work. The fire brigade is supported by the German Red Cross in order to feed the invited forces.