Major fire in Dresden: Former state operetta is on fire!

Major fire in Dresden: Former state operetta is on fire!

Tonight Dresden was rocked by a huge fire. The old state operetta in the Leuben district has been on fire since around 7:37 p.m. Fire department spokesman Michael Klahre reported that the fire broke out in the roof of the empty building and spread extremely quickly. Heavy smoke is causing the smoke to move towards Großzschachwitz and Heidenau, which is causing concern among residents. The fire department has its hands full trying to get the threatening situation under control, and over 60 emergency services are on site to tackle the problem with seven jet pipes and turntable ladders. “The building is completely engulfed in flames,” said Klahre. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far, so the danger posed by the fire appears to be relatively low.

The authorities have called on residents within a 1,000 meter radius to keep windows and doors closed and to turn off ventilation and air conditioning systems. To ensure that the situation does not worsen, two adjacent residential buildings were also evacuated. The warning app Nina also informed citizens about the odor nuisance caused by the smoke from the fire, which underlines the urgency of the situation.

Traffic disruptions and fire protection

The Pirnaer Landstrasse is closed due to the fire, which also has a massive impact on local public transport. The Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe lines are being rerouted: Line 2 runs from the Leuben cemetery to Laubegast, line 46 is also being rerouted and cannot reach the Altleuben stop. Michael Klahre announced on Twitter around 9 p.m. that additional emergency services would be joining in to support the staff on site. The fire brigade is on constant alert and will do everything in its power to extinguish the flames.

This is not the first time that Dresden has faced major fire incidents. On Friday morning there was already a large fire in an empty building in the Neustadt district. Such incidents are worrying because, according to a recent study by the Institute for Loss Prevention and Loss Research (IFS), around two thirds of all fires are caused by human error or electricity. The statistical analysis shows that fires occur again and again in the city of Dresden and can cause considerable damage.

In this case, the fire department has already spoken of an initial investigation into the cause of the fire, but this is still unclear. Whether technical defects or other causes led to this terrible incident will be investigated more intensively in the coming days. Staying in neighboring areas should be viewed with caution until the situation is clarified.

We will keep our readers updated on developments and hope for the fire to be quickly controlled and for the safety of all residents in the area. This reporting is based on information from Picture and MDR, as well as the fire cause statistics IFS.