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Courier driver escapes flames on the B303: technical defect to blame!
On June 17, 2025, there were vehicle fires on the B303 near Kronach, and the fire department was quickly deployed. There were no injuries.
Courier driver escapes flames on the B303: technical defect to blame!
Late on Tuesday afternoon, June 17, 2025, the B303 federal highway in Coburger Land was the scene of a dramatic vehicle fire. A 54-year-old courier driver from Ahorn suddenly noticed smoke coming out of the engine of his Nissan around 5 p.m. as he was driving along the A73 towards Kronach. A few moments later, the flames were already leaping from the engine compartment and the skilled driver reacted with the presence of mind by parking his vehicle on the side of the road and getting to safety. The fire brigade's quick response prevented anything worse from happening and the emergency services were able to quickly bring the fire, which was probably due to a technical defect, under control.
As a result, the B303 was temporarily closed near Ebersdorf and a diversion was set up while several police and the state building authority were on site. Luckily there were no injuries, but the smoke and flames caused significant inconvenience to traffic.
Fire brigade operations on the B303
The B303 currently appears to be a hotspot for fire brigade operations. Just recently, on Saturday morning, there was a major fire on this important traffic route when a 24-year-old driver of his small truck noticed that his load of twelve square bales of hay was on fire. The young man had previously picked up the hay bales from a farmer in Abersfeld. Despite his first attempts to extinguish the fire, which failed, he remained calm and tipped the burning hay bales onto the road to protect his vehicle.
This operation resulted in the B303 being blocked for over three hours. Around 80 emergency services from various fire departments, including from Kreuzthal and Mechenried, arrived to put out the fire. Special measures such as adding a special wetting agent to the extinguishing water helped to quickly tame the flames. It was a logistical effort because a fire water extraction point had to be set up at the village community center in Kreuzthal and a total of around 20,000 liters of water were needed to extinguish the fire. Despite the great effort, everyone involved remained uninjured, even though a small collision between a motorcycle and a car occurred during the operation.
Fire sources in view
The recurring fires on the B303 raise questions about safety precautions. GDV data shows that a total of 14,200 comprehensively insured cars caught fire in Germany in 2023, affecting both combustion engines and electric cars. However, the most common causes of fire in electric cars are technical difficulties, particularly with the batteries. The fire department is now well prepared for these challenges and uses special extinguishing methods that require long-term cooling of the batteries.
It remains to be seen whether there will be further fires on the B303 in the coming days. One thing is certain: the emergency services are well equipped to act quickly and effectively in the event of vehicle fires as well as other emergencies. One can only hope that in the future the streets will remain cleaner of fires and the community can regain peace.