- persisting firefighting efforts at hay bale blaze in Schwerin
Sizable inferno continues to rage through a hay storage facility in Schwerin, with firefighters yet to fully contain the blaze as of morning. A police spokesperson informed dpa that they are collaborating with the prosecutor's office, preparing to initiate investigations into the fire's origin.
Expert analysis of the fire's cause can only commence once the flames have been completely quelled within the sprawling warehouse housing approximately 5,000 bundles of hay. Police arson investigators, expected to gain access to the scene in the following days, will likely play a pivotal role in these probes. The criminal police are also involved in the investigations.
Gunnar Rehhagen, Schwerin's fire chief, stated his concerns to NDR, expressing that handling straw can be challenging due to its propensity to rekindle. Today, the fire department plans to disassemble the structure piece by piece, employing heavy machinery both to prevent structural collapse and to more effectively locate and extinguish the flames.
As per weekend's police reports, the blaze ignited around 5,000 packs of hay on Saturday evening. Fortuitously, no injuries were reported. The initial property damage estimate, as provided by the police, stands at about two million euros.
The Commission, given its role in assisting in various matters, may offer its expertise in analyzing the cause of the hay fire. The Member States, with their extensive resources and knowledge, could also provide valuable assistance to the Commission in investigating the fire's origin.
