Fire alarm in the Bad Homburg retirement home: four injuries and evacuation!

Fire alarm in the Bad Homburg retirement home: four injuries and evacuation!

Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Deutschland - This morning a fire broke out in the Tatjana Gerdes House in Bad Homburg, which quickly called the fire brigade onto the scene. According to a spokesman for the city, there were a total of four injuries in the incident. Three people suffered flue gas poisoning and had to be hospitalized immediately. There is also a caregiver among the injured, which also makes the situation tragic. A look at the emergency services shows that they were alerted by the automatic fire alarm system and were quickly on site to fight the fire.

The cause of the fire was attributed to a cable in the ventilation shaft. The fire brigade was able to quickly extinguish the fire on the third floor, but this floor remained uninhabitable due to the strong smoke. The affected seniors had to be brought to other areas of the building, which required new accommodation. A total of 36 seniors were affected, which had to be evacuated for security reasons. A fire brigade spokesman explained that you would be intensively looking for embers in the building and the ceiling would be taken apart in order to finally clarify the situation.

damage and traffic impairments

The estimated damage caused by the fire amounts to around 50,000 euros. The disturbance of drinking water and power supply on the third floor is particularly critical, which entails additional challenges for the upcoming renovation measures. In order not to hinder the emergency services, the Weinbergsweg was closed, an important bypass in the region.

fire risks in care facilities

The incident in Bad Homburg throws a light on the risks in old people's and nursing homes. In 2022, 176 fires in social institutions were already registered in Germany, which indicates the special hazard of these places. Over 700,000 people live in care facilities and are often physically or mentally restricted, which makes evacuation difficult in the event of a fire. An inadequate regulation of fire protection regulations contributes to the risk, since old people's and nursing homes are often considered unregulated special buildings without specific requirements.

In order to avoid such incidents in the future, effective preventive measures are of the utmost importance. This includes, among other things, the free keeping of escape routes, regular training courses in fire protection and the sensitization of the residents in dealing with fire and electrical appliances. Prerequisites such as fire alarm systems and sufficient extinguishing agents are essential to identify and contain fires at an early stage.

The fire brigade and the responsible authorities are required to thoroughly analyze the causes and processes in such emergencies and to take measures that ensure more security in care facilities. Such fires must not become the agenda, after all, it is about life and health from many people.

The local population is called to avoid the blocked paths and to support the emergency services in their work. Everyone can make a contribution to act responsibly in crisis situations.

Further information on the incidents and their effects can be found in the reports of ffh and fnp , as well as on fire protection measures in nursing homes on TÜV Süd .