A garage fire in Nagold required numerous fire brigade forces on Saturday night. According to initial estimates by the police, the fire caused millions of euros worth of damage. At around 3 am, the fire departments from Nagold and Vollmaringen were alerted by the Integrated Control Center (ILS) in Calw to respond to a deep garage fire in the residential area of Oberer Steinberg in Nagold. The fire commander and commander of the Nagold Fire Department, Thomas Reiff, stated that the first vehicles and firefighters arrived on the scene within a few minutes. Even during the approach, they noticed heavy smoke and immediately called for additional fire departments from Nagold and the breathing apparatus container of the Calw district.

Due to the rapid spread of the fire and heavy smoke, the residential building was immediately evacuated, and all residents were brought to safety. Simultaneously, access to the underground garage, which was closed by a rolling door, was established, and the firefighting began with two breathing apparatus teams and two hoses. Another team secured the door to the apartments in the residential building, according to the fire commander.

At this point, the fire department was supported by the emergency medical services and the German Red Cross local chapter Nagold/Wildberg. They took care of the 25 residents in the neighboring community center. The firefighters involved in the interior attack could only carry out the firefighting process step by step due to the extremely high temperatures of several hundred degrees. There was zero visibility for the firefighters. Another breathing apparatus team extinguished the burning vehicles from above using foam through a shaft access to the underground garage. Additional teams positioned ventilation equipment to improve visibility. In total, 22 teams wearing breathing apparatus were involved in the interior attack. The fire was extinguished by 5:30 am.

During the course of the operation, the fire department visited all the apartments to assess the extent of the fire and smoke damage and to retrieve important personal items such as medication for the residents. Due to the heavy smoke and the fact that six vehicles and a motorcycle were consumed by the flames in the underground garage, the apartments are currently uninhabitable. The Lord Mayor of Nagold, Jürgen Großmann, and Mayor Hagen Breitling rushed to the scene of the fire to assess the situation on site. Many residents and families found shelter with relatives, and the city administration organized emergency accommodations for nine affected individuals. “I am relieved and grateful that no one was harmed in this major fire and I thank the over one hundred emergency personnel who prevented even worse in our city tonight. We have an effective fire department in Nagold,” said Großmann in conclusion.

The mop-up operations and appropriate fire safety measures continued until around 12:30 pm. The district fire chief, Dirk Patzelt, visited the scene to assess the situation and support the established command group and operations management. The emergency medical services and the German Red Cross local chapter Nagold/Wildberg were involved with a total of twelve medical personnel and six vehicles. They ensured medical care, took care of the residents, and provided food and drinks for the emergency personnel.

The Nagold fire departments deployed seven units during the operation. Two units provided basic security for potential future incidents.

News source: https://www.gaeubote.de/Nachrichten/Hoher-Schaden-nach-Brand-in-Tiefgarage-131681.html