Series of fires in Flensburg: Ten injured – police are looking for serial arsonists!

Series of fires in Flensburg: Ten injured – police are looking for serial arsonists!

The air is burning in Flensburg – in the truest sense of the word. Early on Sunday morning, December 22, 2025, three fires were reported that were presumably started intentionally. A total of ten people, including a two-year-old child, were injured, some of them seriously. How sat1regional Reportedly, the drama began on Harrisleer Strasse, where a fire broke out in the basement stairs. The flames quickly spread to a fuse box and the stairwell and caused great shock among the residents.

Rescue workers were not able to respond to the emergency call at 7:25 a.m. a second too soon. Five people, including a 35-year-old man, a 25-year-old woman and the child, had to be taken to hospital with serious injuries. “The escape route was cut off,” is how the fire brigade describes the dramatic minutes in which the residents were rescued using ladders. The shock of the events is deep, especially since only a short time later two more fires were reported on Apenrader Strasse, where a burning stroller and a fire in the stairwell in the adjacent house were quickly extinguished. However, five other people were unable to escape unscathed, including a 23-year-old who was also seriously injured. These two affected apartment buildings are now also uninhabitable.

A familiar pattern?

Local authorities suspect that these arson cases are not isolated. Picture reported similar incidents that took place nearby around two weeks ago. On St. Nicholas Day there was a series of fires in the same area, but fortunately no injuries were reported. The first emergency call came from Harrislee Strasse 45, where rubbish had been set on fire in the stairwell. A stroller and other objects were also set on fire in the following minutes.

“We are investigating a connection,” says a police spokesman, while the criminal police have launched an investigation. The emergency services have also located all crime scenes within a few minutes' walk of the first fire and are now looking for a connection between the incidents.

The sad statistics

Arson is a serious problem in Germany. According to statistics from the Federal Criminal Police Office, the numbers from 2013 to 2024 are alarming. The increase in such crimes is particularly noticeable in urban areas such as Flensburg. A number of cases have been documented in recent years - often with serious consequences for the people and buildings affected. The current events are now being followed like a hawk, and the police are appealing to possible witnesses: “Anyone who has seen anything should please come forward.”

The events of Sunday morning not only raise questions about safety, but also suggest the darkness of these acts. Everyone is hoping for a quick clarification and relaxing times for the frightened residents of this tranquil city.