Roof structure fire on Mülheim racecourse: Fire brigade in action!

Roof structure fire on Mülheim racecourse: Fire brigade in action!

A dramatic incident occurred today, November 7th, 2025, in Mülheim an der Ruhr. The emergency call came in at 2:08 p.m. when smoke was rising from the roof of a building on Akazienallee. As they arrived, the emergency services noticed a heavy development of smoke, which was coming out of the roof of the free-standing building in dense clouds when the fire brigade arrived.

The fire department immediately started fighting the fire inside the building. A specially trained team worked in parallel using the turntable ladder to open the roof covering and thus gain better control of the fire. Ventilation openings were also created in the roof to allow fire smoke to escape. Thanks to planned and targeted measures, the fire was ultimately contained, and the official emergency services reported an operation that lasted approximately two hours and, fortunately, resulted in no injuries.

The responsible emergency services

Both the management service and both fire engines from the Mülheim professional fire department were involved in the extinguishing efforts. As a volunteer fire brigade, the Broich fire brigade also ensured that basic protection was maintained for the entire city area. During this critical phase, they also took on logistical tasks and supported the main forces on site.

After extinguishing work was completed, the fire department handed the site over to the police, who have now begun an investigation into the cause of the fire. Details are not yet available as the investigation is still ongoing.

Urban context and challenges

Many cities around the world, not just in Germany, are facing serious challenges in terms of climate adaptation. As the IDB highlights, floods are the most common climate-related disaster in Latin America and the Caribbean, causing immense economic losses annually. Cities that are growing rapidly often have problems with inadequate drainage systems, which can lead to dangerous situations in urban areas.

IDB's commitment to cities like Belo Horizonte demonstrates the importance of prioritizing sustainable and resilient drainage solutions to protect communities and promote economic activity. Programs aimed at improving infrastructure can make urban areas more resilient to extreme weather events and significantly reduce the risk of flooding.

The fire in Mülheim could therefore be seen as a warning example of how essential it is not only to ensure local fire protection, but also to take higher-level urban planning and infrastructure adjustments into account in order to prevent future dangers.

The city of Mülheim will certainly learn from this incident in order to be even better prepared in the future, because there is really something going on!