Drama in Vienna favorites: Students safely evacuated-facade burned!

Drama in Vienna favorites: Students safely evacuated-facade burned!

On Tuesday afternoon, May 21, 2025, the facade of a higher technical educational institution (HTL) caught fire in Vienna favorites. The fire brigade was alerted at 2:20 p.m., and the flames could be brought under control in the period of about 30 minutes. A total of 67 firefighters were deployed with 17 vehicles, and all students were able to leave the building under safe conditions. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is currently unclear, and the emergency services determined them after the flames were completely extinguished at 3:20 p.m.

The evacuation was caused by the school building. During the mission, the firefighters had to open around five square meters of the facade in order to be able to reach and delete embers. After the extinguishing process has been completed, comprehensive control of the entire school building was carried out to ensure that there were no further fire. However, the exact circumstances that led to the outbreak of the fire remain to be clarified, but the attention of the importance of fire protection measures in schools have drawn attention.

Importance of fire protection in schools

The incident in Vienna throws a light on the general security precautions in schools. According to information from the German Statutory Accident Insurance (DGUV), it is essential that schools implement organizational fire protection measures. These should include the training of employees into fire protection helpers and the creation of alarm plans. Such plans should determine behaviors in an emergency, the labeling of escape routes and the distribution of tasks in an emergency in order to ensure quick and safe evacuation.

The school community, especially teachers, must be informed about such alarm plans in order to be able to act competently and calmly in an emergency. The DGUV emphasizes that avoidance of panic and sensitization for fire protection issues can contribute to increased security in school. Measures such as training and the inclusion of modern teaching methods, such as escape games, were already used to arouse the students' interest in this important topic.

The fire in the HTL Vienna favorites reminds us of the ongoing need to evaluate and improve fire protection measures at schools. Such incidents, as the recent use of the fire brigade shows, could be well checked in timely response, which means that the safety of the pupils is maintained.

For more information about fire protection in schools, visit the websites of Kosmo , Kleine Zeitung and dguv .