Flash strikes! Roof fire in Rangersdorf quickly deleted

Flash strikes! Roof fire in Rangersdorf quickly deleted

on Thursday evening, June 26, 2025, there was a serious lightning strike in the municipality of Rangersdorf. Around 7:55 p.m. a flash hit the roof of a farm building, which led to a fire under the first caps. According to a report by Klick Carinthia, the residents heard a loud bang, noticed the fire and immediately alerted the emergency services. Several voluntary fire departments hurried to the site and were able to successfully extinguish the fire before it was able to spread further.

The fire -fighting measures led the fire brigade to temporarily attach the damaged first caps again. The main damage concern both the roof of the building and parts of the electrical installations. It is currently being checked whether further damage may have occurred. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

Frequency of lightning strikes and resulting damage

lightning strikes are a common cause of fires, especially during the summer months. According to [GDV] (https://www.gdv.de/gdv/statistik/daterservicee-zum-naturfahrenreport/sachsversicherung-blitz-ueber voltage/erdblitze-urursten---meiste--schaeden-im-Summer-147706) there is a clear connection between the number of registered earth flashes and the fire damage. Especially in the months of June, July and August the risk of such dangerous incidents increases.

according to vde Numerous incidents in the past indicate that lightning can cause burning damage in buildings. On August 6, 2019 in Oberried/Südbaden, an attic burned after a lightning strike, with the fire brigade moved in with around 60 emergency services and was able to extinguish the smoldering fire after about 30 minutes. In many cases, such as in Teningen or Walsdorf, worse things could be prevented due to the rapid reaction of the fire brigade. There were no injuries here either.

importance of lightning protection measures

The recent incidents illustrate the need for effective lightning protection measures. Lightning rods are crucial to avoid fires that can arise from the heat development after a lightning strike. According to the brochure "Data service for the Natural Hazard Report 2024", knowledge of this natural hazards is of great importance for insurance companies and their damage assessment.

Rangersdorf is not the only place where lightning strikes cause considerable damage. The numbers and experiences of other communities show how important it is to be prepared for the dangers of lightning strikes. The report of the fire in Rangersdorf is another example that underlines the urgency of protective measures.