Large-scale operation in Kassel: Wilhelmshöhe Castle evacuated due to toxic gases!

Large-scale operation in Kassel: Wilhelmshöhe Castle evacuated due to toxic gases!

A large-scale operation by the fire brigade caused a stir at Wilhelmshöhe Castle in Kassel. The reason? Toxic gases that leaked from the museum archives. This worrying situation has been caused by the decomposition of old celluloid film rolls, which have behaved dangerously due to the heat in recent days. With numerous firefighters in special suits and a cordoned off area around the castle, the team tries to bring the situation under control. Fortunately, there have been no injuries so far. The site is lined with emergency vehicles lined up along the access road to Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, as hessenschau.de reports.

The museum, which runs under the umbrella of the Hessen Kassel Heritage Museum Administration (HKH), was evacuated as a precautionary measure. The affected film rolls are historical documents stored in several cabinets. The decomposition process has accelerated in the last few days, which led to the HKH immediately informing the fire department after initial attempts to calm the situation failed. As a result, the fire department mobilized emergency services who are now moving the dangerous celluloid films and placing them in refrigerated containers in order to stop the decomposition process. fr.de adds that the removal of the film rolls has not yet begun.

The Dangers of Celluloid

Celluloid, first used in 1887, was the primary film material until the mid-20th century. Due to the high risk of fire that occurs when they decompose, celluloid films have not been used in Germany since 1957. But the dangers are not just limited to large archives – private collections can also be endangered by celluloid. Spontaneous combustion can occur, especially under unfavorable storage conditions, as is already known from a fire in a residential and commercial building that was caused by self-igniting celluloid films, informs [ Schadenprisma.de](https://www. Schadenprisma.de/archiv/artikel/heisse-reifen/).

Storage requires special care: Films should be stored at temperatures below 21°C and below 50% relative humidity. This is exactly where a big problem lies, as the inadequate storage conditions in Kassel have already led to a decomposition process that is now calling the fire department into action. The HKH experts are trying to protect the old film art from further damage and to defuse the dangerous gases as quickly as possible.

The situation remains tense and further information on the danger situation and the measures taken by the emergency services is expected in the coming days. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops further.