A fire at Findel Airport in the early hours of Tuesday morning resulted in substantial damage worth over two million euros to Luxembourg Air Rescue equipment.
Emergency responders were called to Findel Airport shortly before 4am to address the situation.
According to Luxembourg Air Rescue officials, the fire originated in the storage area housing medical equipment and devices. Despite the swift intervention of firefighters, a considerable portion of the equipment crucial for air ambulance and helicopter operations was rendered unusable due to damage from the fire and smoke exposure.
The warehouse was said to be destroyed in the fire, causing an estimated two million euros in damage. All aircraft, including helicopters, were evacuated to avoid further risk. The Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) reported the despatch of fire brigades from both Findel Airport and Luxembourg City, with 12 firefighters involved in managing the blaze. The smoke was dispelled from the building using a ventilation system.
Gilbert Hoffmann, head of the Findel fire brigade intervention centre, said the fire itself was extinguished within ten minutes, but it was too late to prevent the damage.
The Luxembourg Air Rescue is ISO-certified, which means all medical equipment is removed from the aircraft every evening and moved to the storage area, while devices are also taken to the warehouse to be charged. René Closter, founder and president of Air Rescue, suggested the fire could have been caused by a charger or ion battery.
The Grand Duchy's judicial police arrived on the scene at 10am Tuesday to begin their investigation into the fire's cause.
Damaged material "not easily replaced"
Material damage is estimated to exceed 1 million euros, as equipment which took two decades to collect was destroyed in a matter of hours. Closter reacted emotionally to the news: "There is so much work now for our medical crew, the equipment is not easily replaced. There is nothing in stock, and everything we use has to be aeronautically approved. You can't go to a shop to buy it, like hospitals can."
Among the destroyed items were three incubators for premature babies. Luxembourg Air Rescue designed its own devices over the past few years and was the only service in the world able to transport premature babies weighing as little as 700 grammes to hospitals. But the lead time for replacement incubators is around 12 months, due to inspections and certification.
CGDIS to share equipment with Air Rescue service
While some appliances have been burned out, others have oxidised, melted, or suffered smoke damage. Twelve defibrillators, a large number of ventilators, blood pressure monitors and other devices are no longer fit for purpose, but the Air Rescue must continue its work.
Staff were called to Findel on Tuesday morning to help, with the first deployment arriving at 8.30am. The Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps helped to equip two helicopters with borrowed equipment to ensure they could be re-deployed where necessary. Three more aircraft are expected to be operational again by Wednesday, either with new self-purchased equipment, or borrowed items from the CGDIS. The Air Rescue hopes to be fully functional again as soon as possible thanks to its members' support.
