24 men in action

Passers-by alerted the fire department to an apartment fire

When the fire department arrived, smoke was already coming from the windows

(Bild: Berufsfeuerwehr Linz)

Heavy smoke was billowing out of the windows of an apartment in Linz-Urfahr late on Friday afternoon. Two people tried to fight the fire with fire extinguishers, but were literally smoked out. They were taken to hospital for checks, but no one else was injured - the fire department quickly contained the flames.

At 5.13 p.m., the alarm bells rang at Linz's main fire station and the north fire station. Already 24 men with six vehicles rushed to Roth-Limanowa-Straße in Urfahr. Heavy smoke was already billowing out of the windows of an apartment on the second floor of an apartment building. 

Smoke forced passers-by back
Two passers-by had tried to put out the fire with hand-held fire extinguishers, but the thick, acrid smoke forced them to retreat. A breathing apparatus unit forced its way into the apartment, while another group checked and ventilated the stairwell and adjoining apartments.

Nobody in the apartment on fire
Fortunately, there was no one in the apartment on fire. Because the firefighters were on the scene so quickly, the fire could not spread and the "fire out" signal was given after only around 20 minutes. The two passers-by were taken to hospital to be checked after their attempt to extinguish the fire, while the firefighters kept a fire watch. The operation was over after around two hours.