Cellar fire in Bremerhaven: Dramatic deployment of three fire departments!

Cellar fire in Bremerhaven: Dramatic deployment of three fire departments!

On June 6, 2025, the Bremerhaven fire department was alerted to a basement fire in an apartment building at Fritz-Erler-Straße 3 at 3:50 p.m. The operation was triggered by a fire alarm system (BMA). Further emergency calls led to the operational keyword being increased to “basement fire,” according to fireworld.at. When the first emergency services arrived, the critical situation was confirmed: thick smoke was coming from the basement area, which indicated an extensive basement fire.

The Weddewarden Volunteer Fire Department was called to provide support, followed by further calls from the Lehe Volunteer Fire Department. A total of 42 emergency services from the Bremerhaven fire department were on site. The fire department's coordinated approach prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the building. All 30 apartments in the affected building were checked and fortunately there were no injuries.

Challenges during use

The operation was particularly challenging due to the thick smoke and the complicated building structure. The extinguishing work and the subsequent ventilation of the building took several hours. The fire department cannot currently provide any information about the exact causes of the fire or the extent of the damage. The police have already started investigations into this matter to get to the bottom of the cause of the fire.

This situation is reminiscent of a similar incident on May 29, 2023 in Bremerhaven, when the fire department was called to a fire in a hotel in the Leherheide district at around 9:00 p.m. Here too, a triggered fire alarm system alerted the emergency services. On the way there, the head of operations noticed thick black smoke and several residents made emergency calls to draw attention to the dangers. The object of the fire was a warehouse that was fully ablaze and the smoke was threatening to spread into adjacent hotel rooms. The evacuation of the hotel guests was carried out immediately and the situation required complex firefighting.

Overview of fire statistics and risk situations

In 2023, CTIF's Center for Fire Statistics published Report No. 28 on global fires. This statistic considers data from 38 states and 26 major cities and analyzes fire causes in 66 countries. It is clear that the framework conditions for fire protection in urban areas have changed over the years and political, cultural and technical events have had a significant influence on fire protection. An ongoing project called “100 CITIES – 100 YEARS” analyzes urban fire risks in the 20th century and examines how these risks evolve over time.

The fire events in Bremerhaven highlight the ongoing challenges for firefighters in urban areas. Such operations not only lead to a high level of stress and responsibility, but also clearly demonstrate the need for well-trained and well-equipped firefighters to be able to act quickly and efficiently in an emergency.