Huge column of smoke over Vienna: vehicle fire at the main station extinguished!

Huge column of smoke over Vienna: vehicle fire at the main station extinguished!

Today in Vienna-Favoriten, residents were alerted by a thick cloud of smoke that rose over a vacant lot near the main train station around 1 p.m. A parked vehicle burst into flames. Passers-by nearby quickly noticed the fire and immediately alerted the fire department. Thanks to the quick intervention of the emergency services, the fire was extinguished with an extinguishing line, but the car burned out completely and could no longer be saved. The remains will now be taken to the scrapyard. Fortunately, the incident passed without any injuries. The cause of the fire is currently being investigated, with a possible accident and a runaway driver being discussed as possible reasons [Today] reports.

But this incident was not the only cause of concern in the region. Last weekend there was another fire in Vienna-Favoriten, this time at a car dealership, in which six cars, all of which were BMWs, went up in flames. Fire investigators from the State Criminal Police Office investigated the incident and determined that there was no foul play. A technical defect in one vehicle was the trigger that caused the fire to spread to the other cars. The professional fire brigade was on site relatively quickly and was able to extinguish the fire using breathing apparatus. The material damage is estimated to be “significant” [Vienna.at] reported.

The importance of fire statistics

These impressions from Vienna are part of a larger trend that is visible in the current fire statistics. The CFS CTIF recently published its report № 29, which includes a comprehensive analysis of fire statistics for 2022. Data from 55 different countries was compiled and shows the state of firefighting worldwide. What was particularly noticeable was the increase in deployments and the causes of fires, which in many cases are due to technical defects. A table in the report shows the distribution of fires by fire cause, and a separate chapter is dedicated to the topics of forest fires and their impacts [CTIF] reports.

It turns out that fires are not only a problem in urban areas like Vienna-Favoriten, but are also an increasingly serious issue globally. Fire statistics are inevitably a valuable resource for better understanding the current challenges facing fire departments.

In a city like Vienna, which has to carefully deal with various fire scenarios, such statistics and operations as the recent incidents are of immense interest - not only for the public, but also for the decision-makers who must be able to take preventive measures and ensure the safety of all citizens.