Dramatic scenes unfolded Thursday night in Schwaz, Austria, as a fire ripped through an apartment building, injuring three residents and two police officers. The blaze, which began in a garbage room around 1:20 a.m., quickly engulfed half of the building from the ground floor to the third story, forcing firefighters to break down doors and windows to reach those trapped inside.
Rescuers Forced to Break Into Apartments to Save Residents
Three Austrians were hospitalized after a fire broke out in an apartment building in Schwaz on Thursday night.
- A fire started in a garbage room around 1:20 a.m. in Schwaz.
- Three residents – ages 61, 70, and 81 – were taken to a local hospital with injuries.
- Firefighters had to forcibly enter apartments to rescue trapped individuals.
- Nine apartments are now uninhabitable due to fire damage.
According to Lukas Baumann, operations manager of the Schwaz volunteer fire department, three people were calling for help from their apartments. Firefighters responded by breaking windows and forcing open apartment doors to reach them. The injured – a 61-year-old, a 70-year-old, and an 81-year-old – were all transported to Schwaz Hospital with unspecified injuries. Two police officers were also treated on-site for breathing difficulties.
Residents displaced by the fire were initially sheltered in a sports hall before being accommodated with family members. Authorities confirmed that nine apartments are currently uninhabitable. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing as of Thursday.
More than 100 emergency personnel, including firefighters and rescue workers, were deployed to the scene.
New Year’s Eve Saw a Surge in Fire-Related Incidents
The control center reported a total of 170 fire brigade operations and nearly 300 rescue missions across the region on New Year’s Eve. In Erl, a person sustained a hand injury from a firecracker, and in Längenfeld, another suffered a facial injury – details available here. Additionally, two individuals were injured in a Christmas tree fire in Innsbruck.
