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Major fire on container bridge: Firefighting teams save people in danger!
On October 29th, 2025 there was an extensive fire brigade operation at the container bridge in Altona. Six people were rescued.
Major fire on container bridge: Firefighting teams save people in danger!
On October 29, 2025, the Hamburg fire department was alerted to a challenging operation on the container bridge in Altenwerder. The reason for the operation was a fire that probably broke out during demolition and flame cutting work. The origin of the fire was the approximately 20 meter high trolley of the bridge, from where the flames extended to a height of around 100 meters. Numerous emergency services were needed to bring the situation under control.
A total of a fire engine, fire boats and special vehicles were used to fight the fire. Six volunteer fire departments helped put out the fire and bring people to safety. The extinguishing work lasted five long hours, during which the emergency services worked under heavy respiratory protection and with thermal imaging cameras.
Rescue operations and coordination
During the operation, several people had to be brought to safety; A total of six people were rescued from the danger area using the turntable ladder and were treated on site by the emergency services. Cooling of the structure from the outside was initially used to fight the fire. Later, the professional fire department's 70-meter-high telescopic mast vehicle (TMF70) was called in to fight the flames more effectively.
The Altona area leader was responsible for coordinating the entire operation. The following volunteer fire departments provided active support on site:
- FF Finkenwerder – Unterstützung bei Rettungsmaßnahmen und erste Wasserversorgung
- FF Francop – Unterstützung bei der Wasserversorgung
- FF Eimsbüttel – Aufbau einer technischen Einsatzleitung
- FF Altona – Unterstützung bei der technischen Einsatzleitung
- FF Warwisch – Unterstützung bei technischen Arbeiten an der Containerbrücke
- FF Eißendorf – Versorgung der Einsatzkräfte mit warmen Getränken und Snacks
The special conditions on site led to a longer deployment period than originally expected. The sophisticated organization and cohesion of the various defense forces was once again demonstrated.
Statistical insights into the causes of fires
A look at the general causes of fires shows that a more precise database would be beneficial in such incidents. FeuerTrutz emphasizes that there are no comprehensive and uniform fire statistics in Germany. Such statistics would not only provide information about common causes of fires, but could also help improve fire protection. In operations like the one in Altenwerder, it is particularly important to identify the causes early on in order to prevent future fires.
This incident once again illustrates the importance of well-trained emergency services and the need for comprehensive preventive measures in fire protection. With a good knack for coordinating operations and a committed team, the Hamburg fire department has once again proven that it is ideally prepared for such challenging situations.
Anyone interested in further statistical data relating to fires in Germany can register for the newsletter at FeuerTrutz and receive current information.