According to the Hessian Ministry of the Interior, the fire on Wednesday morning caused around 20 million euros in damage. The cause of the fire remains unclear, according to police reports. The complex, which included a vehicle hall, had only been inaugurated in January.
A witness reported a burning fire engine inside the station to the emergency control centre early in the morning. The fire quickly spread to the entire vehicle hall, which housed at least eight fire trucks. Initial findings suggest that all the vehicles except one were destroyed.
Around 170 firefighters from across the Marburg-Biedenkopf district were deployed to prevent the fire from spreading to the main building. Due to heavy smoke, local residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed. The Weserbahn railway line was temporarily closed. According to the Central Hesse Police Headquarters in Gießen, no injuries were reported.
The brand-new fire station, which had been praised as “modern, innovative, and state-of-the-art,” was not equipped with a fire alarm. German media report that this has caused widespread confusion and outrage, especially since legal requirements did not mandate a fire alarm for a building of this type. Norbert Fischer, chairman of the Hesse State Fire Brigade Association, has called for a review of these regulations.
