Farm in Leuchtenberg ablaze: 250 firefighters on duty!

Farm in Leuchtenberg ablaze: 250 firefighters on duty!

Things were boiling late on Tuesday evening when a devastating fire broke out in a cowshed in the Hof district. Loud BR The fire department received the emergency call at around 9:45 p.m. - the agricultural property was on fire and action had to be taken quickly. The extinguishing work lasted until midnight, but the situation was dramatic: almost all 200 cows in the stable died and only six animals could be saved.

A few days later, in neighboring Leuchtenberg (Neustadt an der Waldnaab district), a similar incident occurred. Here too, the fire brigade had to respond to a major fire that broke out on the night of July 9, 2025. The owner was woken from his sleep by the loud screaming of his cows and found a farm in flames. Loud Time The fire broke out in an outbuilding and quickly spread to other buildings.

Damage and rescue operations

Around 250 emergency services were on site to extinguish the fire and bring the situation under control. Two residents were slightly injured and had to be taken to hospital. Despite the dramatic circumstances, around 100 cows were rescued from the stables and taken to an adjacent meadow, while the search for additional animals housed in surrounding farms was already underway.

The exact amount of damage is currently unclear, but it is expected to be in the millions. The fire in Hof and the incidents in Leuchtenberg raise questions that go beyond the current loss. What are the common causes of fires in agriculture?

Fire causes and statistics

There is no comprehensive survey of agricultural fires in Germany. Federal states do not keep statistics on damage cases and causes of fires. This is also criticized by the “Stable Fires” initiative, which tries to collect information itself. A report from the Federal Government's Scientific Service shows that in response to a request from 2020 there was no own findings on fire incidents in agriculture, but instead referred to previous studies. According to a study by Jürgen Kunkelmann in 2016, electricity and arson are among the most common causes of barn fires, and human error is also cited as a significant cause of damage.

In times when material equipment and herd sizes are constantly changing, it remains essential to increase safety on farms. Even if the past does not provide any reliable figures, farmers are still concerned about further fires. We hope that the causes of the fire can be identified soon and appropriate measures will be taken to prevent such tragedies.