Arson in Jesteburg: Residents arrested – 100,000 euros in damage!

Arson in Jesteburg: Residents arrested – 100,000 euros in damage!

A dramatic incident occurred on November 18, 2025 in Jesteburg, Harburg district, in which an accommodation for refugees caught fire. The suspected perpetrator, a 25-year-old resident, has since been arrested. According to NDR there is evidence that points to deliberate arson. The suspect had already been noticed during another police operation the day before.

The fire department was deployed to rescue the 16 people from the building. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, apart from one resident who was taken to hospital with minor injuries. Except for the second floor, the accommodation is now habitable again. Nevertheless, the Harburg district has to organize alternative accommodation for some of the residents, as the estimated damage is around 100,000 euros.

Previous fire incidents in Jesteburg

It is interesting that this was not the first fire in Jesteburg. On November 14, 2025, there was a fire in a thatched house that housed both living and practice rooms. This incident involved two minor residents who were able to escape to safety uninjured but suffered shock. The fire department was on site with up to 135 emergency services to prevent the flames from spreading to a neighboring apartment building. However, the building burned down to the ground and the extinguishing work lasted until the early hours of the morning, as the Presseportal reports.

In this fire, the 25-year-old was also arrested on strong suspicion. He is now in custody after traces at the scene of the fire indicated that the fire was intentionally set.

Serious Arson: A Recurring Problem

The repeated fires in refugee shelters shed light on a larger problem. In recent years there have been repeated reports of criminal arson in such facilities. The legal consequences are severe and range from serious arson to arson resulting in death, as the Strafrechtsblogger makes clear. One particularly worrying case was in 2019, when a refugee from Sudan, unhappy with his living conditions, set his accommodation on fire. The case ended with a three-year and nine-month prison sentence for the defendant.

The current events in Jesteburg are therefore part of a worrying trend. It remains to be hoped that legal action against the 25-year-old and the clarification of the incidents can create more security for all residents of these facilities.