Firefighters were only able to enter the Seewalchen fire ruin in Upper Austria after 5 p.m. The helpers found both bodies of an elderly couple. The hours leading up to the rescue were dramatic. According to the current state of the investigation, the fire would have broken out in the kitchen and there are no indications of negligence on the part of third parties.
“We still hope that the two residents suddenly call and ask what happened to their house that night. But when they were home, they didn’t stand a chance,” Seewalchen Mayor Gerald Egger (VP) longed for a Saturday morning. miracle. He himself was there when a fire broke out shortly after 6 p.m. on Friday in the family home in the village of Rosenau and fears for an elderly couple who lived there began.
Securing the building took several hours
16 fire brigades fought the full fire all night. On Saturday morning there were still isolated embers. During the hours of the extinguishing work, the emergency services were mainly concerned with one question: where are the two residents?
The 61-year-old woman and her husband (64) had lived in the house for decades, of which only ruins remain. Because the building was badly damaged, the helpers were not allowed to enter the house at first, not even with heavy respiratory protection. “It was too dangerous to send anyone in,” said FF Seewalchen commander Christian Mayerhofer. The couple’s daughter also had to wait outside. She and other family members were cared for by the crisis intervention team.
Woman fled the flames to the toilet
When Mayor Egger did not want to give up hope in the ‘Krone’ conversation on Saturday morning, the emergency services were just removing the roof construction with a crane. The fire brigade also supported the fire ruin with pillars to statically secure the building.
Around 1.30 pm, more than 17 hours after the outbreak of the fire, emergency services were finally able to enter the completely burnt-out single-family home. The fears were confirmed: firefighters first found the woman’s body. “She apparently fled to the toilet, where there was no fire. She must have suffocated there from smoke gases,” says Mayerhofer. The 64-year-old homeowner is said to have been bedridden, but panicked and fled to the upstairs bathroom. The helpers pulled the dead from the rubble.
Neighbors sheltered neighbors
“The couple have lived here for centuries,” says local manager Egger. “Neighbors were shocked when the fire broke out. Yet everyone stood up for each other.” The residents whose houses were on the leeward side immediately and willingly took in other neighbors. “The more than 200 emergency services, from the fire brigade to the water cooperative, also worked well together. They could not have worked better together,” he says, thanking the many helpers .
A fire broke out in the kitchen
Despite the strong wind on the night of the fire, the emergency services were able to prevent the flames from spreading to neighboring residential buildings. The exact cause of the outbreak of the fire was unclear for the time being, but, according to investigations, it had taken place in the kitchen. As per the current status of the investigation, there is no evidence of third party negligence – the LKA is investigating.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
