Major fire in Swisttal: residents warned of health risks!

Major fire in Swisttal: residents warned of health risks!

A long-lasting major fire is keeping the fire departments around Swisttal, North Rhine-Westphalia busy. On July 6, 2025, a fire broke out in a plastic warehouse, prompting immediate warnings from residents. They were asked to close windows and doors to protect themselves from the smoke. The fire brigade was able to bring the fire under control around midday, but the roof of the hall collapsed just in time for lunch.

The emergency services were quickly on the scene and used all means to prevent the flames from spreading to neighboring buildings. The Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) played a crucial role by transporting burning garbage outside to make the extinguishing work easier. According to the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, there is a serious health risk from the resulting smoke, which is why residents have been warned to use public news sources such as radio to get up-to-date information. No details about the cause of the fire are currently known, the fish already stinks at the place where the fire broke out, in the waste incineration plant in the Ollheim district.

Past events and their causes

In a similar case, three weeks ago, things went very haywire in another part of Swisttal. A fire at the Hündgen waste disposal company kept the fire department busy for four days and caused at least two million euros in damage. The cause was a damaged battery in a shredder, raising suspicions that this could be due to the processing of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are installed in many everyday items such as cell phones and e-cigarettes and are now often a risk for such fires, as environmental experts emphasize.

The NRW Environment Minister Oliver Krischer did not miss the opportunity to visit the scene of the fire and confirmed the cause of the fire. He advocated for a deposit system for lithium-ion batteries and a ban on disposable cigarettes to prevent future incidents. Unfortunately, no policy measures have been implemented to address these risks. This problem is reflected in several dozen fires at garbage dumps in North Rhine-Westphalia last year.

Conclusions and further information

The current events in Swisttal highlight the dangers associated with the disposal of modern waste. The fire department continues to work tirelessly to manage the situation. More information and updates about the fire can be found on the website of Ruhr24, WDR and IFS.