Great fire in the Alfter impekoven building yard: fire brigade in action!

Great fire in the Alfter impekoven building yard: fire brigade in action!

In the night from Saturday to Sunday, January 1, 2025, a fire occurred in the vehicle and device hall of the municipal building yard in Alfter impekoven. At around 01:00 a.m. the fire brigade was alerted by an employee of the building yard after a construction vehicle in the hall had risen in flames. The fire caused considerable smoke development that required a quick reaction from the emergency services.

The fire brigade was able to successfully prevent the spread of the fire and quickly brought the situation under control. Despite the fast measures, fire residues and heat effects of considerable property damage to the hall and on the vehicles submitted there arose. Around 45 volunteers from various extinguishing groups, including Gielsdorf, Impekoven and Witterschlick, as well as the extinguishing of Bonn-Duisdorf and the Alfter fire service were on site.

Investigations into the cause of the fire

The damage point was inspected by managers of the municipal administration on the night. In order to determine the exact cause of the fire, the Bonn police have started investigations. It is assumed that electrical errors could be a possible cause. According to statistics from the Institute of Damage Control and Damage Research (IFS) from 2002 to 2021, around 33 % of the fires examined were caused by electricity. These numbers illustrate the relevance of electrical causes of fire, which are often caused by insulation damage or wobbly contacts, also for this incident.

In recent years, the data from the IFS damage database show that electrical errors often prove to be causes of fire. The proportion of fires caused by electrical installations in 2021 was 25 %, while electrical devices made 54 %. This indicates that outdated electrical installations can be an increased risk of fire. In particular, isolated and poorly maintained devices are potential sources of danger that require regular review.

fire prevention and security guidelines

The recommendations for damage prevention include regular tests of the electrical systems and the observance of manufacturer references when using electrical appliances. In particular, the safety of lithium batteries and batteries that are increasingly becoming the focus requires more attention. It was found that fires in connection with these batteries have a significant increase in, which underlines the need to sensitize the public.

The Alfter fire brigade will continue to inform about the developments in this case. Further information is available on the website of the Fire Brigade Alfter, which regularly provides updates for missions and fire prevention. If you would like to find out more about the prevention of fires, find corresponding resources at this link .