Lüneburg Fire Department: Construction sites make rescue operations and emergency aid more difficult!

Lüneburg Fire Department: Construction sites make rescue operations and emergency aid more difficult!

In 2025, the Lüneburg fire department will face a growing challenge. To date, 902 deployments have been recorded and an estimated 1,000 deployments are expected by the end of the year. City fire chief Rainer Utermöhlen reports that although there have hardly been any major fires, the dramatic effects on those affected should not be underestimated. Particularly noticeable are the numerous basement fires in Kaltenmoor, which have been increasing since January and where tenants have to wait months for necessary repairs. This situation particularly affects those who live in municipal accommodation, where the fire brigade has already been called upon 30 times in recent operations at the Bargenturm and in Rettmer and 19 times at Bockelmannstrasse, as Lüneburg Aktuell reports.

A trouble spot is the narrow streetscape on Lise-Meitner-Straße, where construction sites severely restrict access for the fire department. While the fire brigade is consulted in advance about construction projects and there are improvements in bottlenecks, the rescuers often don't have much time to help quickly. This is particularly noticeable in fires that break out in densely populated areas and as a result there are repeated alarm messages, some of which have to be dismissed as false alarms. The fire alarms in municipal accommodation are not always up to date, so some devices are already outdated.

Cellar fire in Kaltenmoor

A current operation by the Lüneburg fire department illustrates the precarious situation. A basement fire in Kaltenmoor resulted in heavy smoke, which prompted the fire department to create additional exhaust vents and use a pressure aerator to combat embers. It was discovered that some cables in the electrical supply line were exposed to fire, which made it necessary to call in the energy supplier's emergency service. This reports Lüneburg fire department.

The head of operations, Andreas Bien, together with representatives of the energy supplier, had the basement inspected and the damage assessed, while some of the emergency services secured the lighting to enable residents to leave the house safely. A total of 37 emergency services were on site and one person was taken to an emergency shelter in the city. The lighting measures and the deployment of the fire department ended around 11:45 p.m.

The role of the fire department and service for neighbors

One can be proud of the broad support provided by the Lüneburg fire department. She is not only committed to her own city, but also to surrounding communities. The fire department helped with several fires in Kirchgellersen and at a recycling plant in Embsen. The Lüneburg emergency services currently have a total of 242 volunteer members in four volunteer fire departments as well as 14 full-time employees, who are supplemented by two more in training. Plans are underway to set up a full-time security guard at the Johanneum in order to further increase operational readiness.

To ensure safety for citizens, it remains important to keep an eye on the causes of fires. The general fire statistics in Germany are under special focus; As FeuerTrutz reports, there is a lack of comprehensive and uniform data that should be promoted. Regularly updating and supplementing statistics could significantly improve fire protection.