Fire in the Wiesbaden old people's home: residents saved from carbon monoxide!

Fire in the Wiesbaden old people's home: residents saved from carbon monoxide!

Wiesbaden, Deutschland - A nightly fire in an old people's home in Wiesbaden caused great excitement on June 13, 2025. Flames hit the basement of the basement, and the smoke pulled through the stairwell. The fire brigade's forces were quickly on site and decided to evacuate the entire building. Fortunately, according to initial information, there was no serious injuries. Many of the over 100 affected residents were temporarily accommodated in an unused station of a hospital, while some were sheltered by relatives or friends. After about half an hour, the firefighters had the flames under control and were able to prevent worse things. The cause of the fire remains unclear for the time being, but the fire brigade suspects that poisonous carbon monoxide and fire smoke have reached several bathrooms via the supply shafts, which justified the evacuating measures. In the basement, considerable damage to the house electrical system also had to be recorded, which made the situation even more pressing.

But what exactly makes carbon monoxide so dangerous? This odorless, invisible gas can be insidious and potentially fatal, especially if the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning first comment like a simple cold. The beginning of the chimney and oven period, especially in the colder season, increases the risk of such poisoning. Studies indicate that about 10 % of those affected suffer a heart attack within 56 months of co-poisoning, and heart dysfunction occurs in a third of the moderately to severely affected patients. We often know little about long -term consequences such as psychoses or paralysis.

The dangers of carbon monoxide

In Germany, around 25 % of households use open fireplaces, stoves or tiled stoves, which reinforces the risk of carbon monoxide exposure. The most common causes of CO poisoning are blocked exhaust pipes, blocked chimneys as well as lack of maintenance and improper use. Therefore, it is indispensable to install co-detectors in apartments with fireplaces or stoves. These devices are crucial for early detection and should ideally be placed in living rooms and bedrooms. It is important to emphasize that CO detectors are not a replacement for smoke alarms.

An important feature of the city of Wiesbaden is the lively cooperation between various institutions for the prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning. The initiatives that were launched in 2018 aim to inform the public about the dangers of CO and to reduce the number of poisoning. The actors include the German Fire Brigade Association and the Federal Association of the Schornsteinfeger trade. If a co-detector is triggered, residents should follow the following steps: open doors and windows, leave the building immediately, contact the fire brigade under 112 and do not return to the danger area.

The events in Wiesbaden serve as an urgent memory of the dangers that carbon monoxide entails. While the fire brigade reacted professionally and prevented worse, the sensitization for co-poisoning remains essential in order to continue to avoid further incidents in the future.