Major fire in Vienna-Favoriten: 20 residents evacuated, two injured!

Major fire in Vienna-Favoriten: 20 residents evacuated, two injured!

Yesterday evening, January 16, 2026, a serious fire broke out in a residential building on Keplergasse in the 10th district, which not only caused many residents to panic, but also resulted in a complex deployment by the fire department. Over 20 residents had to be evacuated, while thick smoke in the stairwell and flames shooting out of the windows of an apartment dramatically worsened the situation. Two people suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital for observation, including a 13-year-old teenager and a 64-year-old woman.

The Vienna professional fire department responded with eight vehicles and almost 40 emergency services after the emergency calls were received around 8 p.m. The priority was to quickly evacuate residents, and respiratory protection teams rescued several people, including two children, from the smoke-filled apartment using a turntable ladder. Fortunately, more than 20 people - including a dog - were brought to safety. The Vienna professional rescue service looked after those rescued on site, while the fire brigade fought for about an hour to bring the flames under control.

Cause of fire unclear

The affected apartment is currently uninhabitable; The material damage cannot yet be quantified. The cause of the fire remains unclear for the time being as the police have begun an investigation. The first results are expected in the coming days. Incidentally, in Vienna, smoke alarms are required by law in apartments, which can be life-saving in such a situation.

As a reminder: Just last June, a devastating fire occurred in an apartment building in Vienna-Landstrasse, in which an 86-year-old man unfortunately died. At that time, over 100 firefighters had to fight the fire using various extinguishing methods, including the use of turntable ladders and thermal imaging cameras. These recent incidents shed light on the need for efficient fire safety measures, especially in densely populated residential areas where there are high numbers of people who need quick help in an emergency.

Looking for safe accommodation

After the fire in Favoriten, the affected residents are faced with the challenge of finding safe alternative accommodation. Sensitivity to fire safety issues is higher than ever and it is important that both residents and those responsible learn lessons from these terrible events. According to feuertrutz.de, regular updates and targeted education about fire protection measures could make a decisive contribution to preventing such tragedies in the future.

The Vienna Fire Department has once again impressively shown that it can react quickly and efficiently in crisis situations. Nevertheless, it remains to be hoped that the residents can quickly return to a safe environment after this frightening experience.