Major fire in Lehrte: Fire brigade fights against flames and communication chaos!

Major fire in Lehrte: Fire brigade fights against flames and communication chaos!

On Wednesday night there was a major fire in a garden colony in Lehrte, Hanover region, which presented the fire department with considerable challenges. A large arbor, a shelter and numerous trees and bushes went up in flames. Loud NDR The first emergency services were alerted at around 11:22 p.m., and upon arrival they confirmed flames and heavy smoke that were already visible from afar. A total of almost 90 firefighters were on duty who had to control the flames with large pipes.

The situation was made even more difficult by a failure of the digital radio network Fire department magazine reported. The emergency services were forced to use cell phones to ensure communication. This led to a disruption in coordination and placed additional strain on the already challenging extinguishing work. In this context, the German Fire Brigade Association emphasizes the urgency of providing a better secured communication network for security authorities and emergency services in order to reduce the vulnerability of critical infrastructure. “A well-secured network is essential for our work,” explained DFV President Karl-Heinz Banse.

Dangerous situation and extinguishing work

The explosive danger of spray cans and propane gas bottles made extinguishing the fire even more risky. The emergency services therefore had to work under respiratory protection in order to cope with the heavy smoke. According to the fire department report, seven C-pipes and one B-pipe were used to prevent the flames from spreading and to stabilize the fire situation. A foam carpet was also used to combat embers, so that the situation was brought under control around two o'clock. However, the extinguishing work continued until the early hours of the morning.

Thanks to the good cooperation between the various local fire departments - including Ahlten, Aligse and Steinwedel - something worse was prevented. “The emergency services worked hand in hand and demonstrated good handling in a dangerous situation,” said a spokesman for the fire department. Despite the dramatic circumstances, fortunately there were no injuries to report. The police have now started an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Sustainable security and communication

The incident once again highlights how important a reliable communications infrastructure is for emergency services. The digital radio outage highlights the vulnerability that fire departments and other security agencies face in an emergency. How Firefighters Association notes, it is necessary to develop robust technical systems that are armed against disruptions and digital attacks. The DFV is already in the process of developing solutions to ensure the operational capability and safety of fire departments even in digital times.

Citizens in the region can therefore rely on the emergency services doing everything they can to help quickly and safely, despite the challenges posed by the fire in Lehrte. The thoughts are now also on determining the cause of the fire, which should clarify how this major fire could have occurred.