Cellar fire in Dresden-Johannstadt: Fire brigade saves all residents!

Cellar fire in Dresden-Johannstadt: Fire brigade saves all residents!

On the night of June 24th to 25th, 2025, a frightening basement fire occurred in a high-rise residential building on Florian-Geyer-Straße in Dresden-Johannstadt. At around 10:30 p.m., the emergency services were alerted by the automatic fire alarm system after smoke alarms registered heavy smoke. Before the fire brigade arrived, numerous residents had already left the building or were on their way outside.

When the fire brigade arrived, thick smoke was billowing in front of the main entrance to the house. Open flames and thick clouds of smoke shot out of an open cellar door at the back of the building. As a result, a total of 40 emergency services from Dresden's fire and rescue stations, including the Johannstadt rescue station, penetrated the basement using breathing apparatus. There they fought against a basement box that was fully on fire.

Operation details and coordination

The operational management showed remarkable organizational talent. Several operational sections were formed to manage the situation efficiently. While one section concentrated on fighting the fire, others checked the stairwells and used special fans to help extract smoke from the building. The smoke from the fire had already spread through connecting structures into the neighboring building, where an increased concentration of carbon monoxide was found in an apartment.

To ensure the safety of residents, extensive ventilation measures were implemented, which made it possible for residents to return to their homes. The emergency services carried out medical examinations on several people as a precaution. Fortunately, there were no health abnormalities among those affected, and a total of three people were examined. Because the situation was serious, an additional ambulance was called.

Investigations are ongoing

The Dresden police immediately began investigating the cause of the fire. The fire brigade's operation lasted until the early hours of the morning, but fortunately there were no injuries. Operations like this are not only frightening, they also raise awareness of the importance of smoke detectors and fire protection. Statistics show that the number of fire deaths in Germany has been significantly reduced over the last 30 years - from 787 in 1990 to 388 in 2020. Nevertheless, fire operations have been increasing again since 2014. Situations like the basement fire in Johannstadt illustrate how important it is to continue to pay attention to safety and act preventatively to reduce the risk of fires. Sächsische.de and Presseportal.de report on the dramatic events, while Rauchmelder-Lebensretter.de provides important statistics on fire incidents.