Children involved in fire drama: investigations against three young people

Children involved in fire drama: investigations against three young people

There are currently big waves in Dresden because of two fire incidents that caused a stir in the last few months. While a fire in the former home of the state operetta is now leading to investigations against three children, a tragic fire in a high-rise building in Johannstadt is again raising questions about the safety of older people.

On Friday evening, a fire broke out in the empty building of the Dresden State Operetta, which has found a new home in the Mitte power plant since 2016. According to FAZ it is suspected that the children, two girls and a boy aged eleven and twelve, caused the fire by lighting paper in the building. The investigators' detective work has been intensified through witness interviews and secured video material. However, for reasons of protecting minors, no further details about the crime will be published. Tragically, the fire resulted in the municipal building being completely burned out, with the auditorium collapsing. The estimated property damage is in the six to seven figure range.

Fire in a high-rise building: tragic fate of a married couple

A few months earlier, on February 17, 2025, there was another fire in a high-rise building in the Johannstadt district that claimed the lives of two people. This was an 87-year-old woman and her husband, the same age, who lived on the eleventh floor. As MDR reports, the fire department was alerted to the operation when a large column of smoke was visible from the apartment. Despite attempts at resuscitation near the scene, the two seniors later died in hospital. A 78-year-old woman from the apartment below also had to be taken to hospital. The exact cause of the fire is currently being clarified and investigations into negligent arson are ongoing.

Evacuation of the entire home was necessary to ensure the safety of the remaining residents. Around 40 people were cared for on a bus, while repairing the damage to the affected apartment levels is expected to take six months. These tragic incidents serve as a reminder of the worrying statistic that seniors are twice as likely to die in house fires, as [IFS](https://www.ifs-ev.org/ Schadenverhuetung/ursachenstatistics/ursachenstatistics-brandschaeden-2024/) points out.

The events clearly show how important it is to avoid fires and take appropriate fire prevention measures. It remains to be hoped that both the investigations in Leuben and the investigation into the tragic fire attacks in Johannstadt will help prevent such incidents in the future.