Major operation in Knetzgau: Edeka market severely affected by fire

Major operation in Knetzgau: Edeka market severely affected by fire

A major operation for the fire brigade occurred on Monday in Knetzgau when a fire broke out in the Edeka market around 12:45 p.m. The integrated control center in Schweinfurt immediately alerted the fire departments from Knetzgau, Hainert, Westheim, Eschenau, Sand and Haßfurt. With around 100 emergency services on site, including specialist advisors from THW Haßfurt and the BRK rescue service, the situation was quickly brought under control. The operation lasted around an hour and ended after the electrical room was vented.

The fire was located in the control cabinet of an electrical room and not in the shopping area, which fortunately prevented major damage. A technical defect is suspected as a possible cause of the fire. What is particularly noteworthy is the rapid deployment of CO2 extinguishers, which could be used safely for electrical systems without leaving any residue. Operations manager Thomas Finger referred to the Knetzgau fire department's “water” roll-off container, which had a capacity of 10,000 liters.

Economic consequences for the supermarket

Despite the rapid firefighting, a power outage caused significant disruption to the supermarket's refrigerated area. Those responsible immediately organized the removal of the chilled and frozen goods, which was intended to minimize the economic damage. The measures introduced demonstrate a good knack for crisis management on the part of the store management.

In the run-up to Christmas, Knetzgau was already affected by another fire. On the night of December 29, 2024, a fire broke out in a residential building, the cause of which has so far remained unclear. A shelter adjacent to the house was on fire and spread to the building. The house was classified as temporarily uninhabitable and the residents had to be accommodated elsewhere. The Schweinfurt police are investigating this case, while the property damage is estimated at a five-figure amount.

Fire hazards from lithium-ion batteries

Another aspect that should not be ignored in the fire safety discussion is the danger posed by batteries containing lithium. These batteries are increasingly found in electrical devices and can pose an additional risk in serious fires. Therefore, rapid and targeted firefighting of such fires is crucial in order to avoid major damage. Current research results underline the importance of extinguishing methods and fire protection concepts, which must be individually adapted in order to effectively minimize risks.

Overall, the incident at the Edeka store in Knetzgau shows how important it is to act quickly and comprehensively prepare in the event of a fire. Thanks to the joint efforts of the fire department and local emergency services, something worse was prevented. The population is happy that, despite the danger, no major personal injuries have been reported.