Vienna-Ottakring: Pyromaniac sets fire to apartment again – arrest!

Vienna-Ottakring: Pyromaniac sets fire to apartment again – arrest!

In the early hours of Saturday, June 15, 2025, a worrying incident occurred in Vienna-Ottakring: a 46-year-old man set his own apartment on fire. The perpetrator, known as a well-known pyromaniac, had already been convicted of arson three times, which did not leave a good impression on the investigators. The Koppstrasse police station received the alarm at around 5:15 a.m. and the Vienna fire department was quickly on site to fight the flames and bring the situation under control.

The incident report shows that fortunately there were no injuries. Several residents of the residential building had to leave their apartments due to the heavy smoke and were temporarily cared for. The person who caused the fire himself confessed to the crime and expressed an inner urge to set things on fire. According to initial assessments, it is suspected that the man suffers from a mental illness and that his alcohol level was 1.5 per mille when he was arrested. The estimated material damage amounts to several tens of thousands of euros.

Psychological background and criminal consequences

As the MWV Berlin As explained in detail, arson not only poses a danger to people, but also causes immense material damage. Historically, there are different approaches to understanding the motives behind such acts. Psychological disorders, such as pyromania, often play a crucial role. The 46-year-old joins a long list of perpetrators who set fires because of their inner conflicts and psychological problems.

According to the provisions of Section 306 of the Criminal Code, arson is classified as a crime dangerous to the public, punishable by prison sentences of one to ten years. In less serious cases, the law provides for penalties of six months to five years. For the current case, the sentence is likely to be correspondingly high due to the perpetrator's previous history.

A look at the statistics

The conditions are alarming: according to data from recent years, 9% of fires in 2018 and even 12% in 2020 were due to arson. In absolute terms, this means that 20,369 cases of arson were recorded in 2018. Over 87% of the perpetrators were male, with a notable 30.9% involving children and adolescents.

Prevention programs to combat arson are particularly established in the USA, while comprehensive approaches are still lacking in Germany. A crucial point in the treatment of arsonists is to minimize the risk of relapse and to treat the underlying psychological disorders. The man who has now been arrested will be transferred to a prison while the fire team of the Vienna State Criminal Police Office leads the further investigation.

Overall, this incident shows once again how important it is to analyze the causes of arson and to provide adequate prevention and therapy programs. This is the only way to prevent future fires and protect those affected.