Enormous clouds of smoke, burning batteries and hundreds of emergency services in continuous operation: A major fire in a recycling company for batteries in Offenbach, among other things, kept the fire brigade in suspense on Monday night. The fire first broke out on containers outside on Sunday evening and spread to a warehouse, a city spokesman said early Monday morning. Several explosions were also heard. The fire brigade was able to prevent further spread.
Among other things, a total of 70 tons of batteries and accumulators burned. The flames were extinguished by around 350 emergency services by 4 a.m., a spokesman for the fire department said. But the operation is not over yet: A fire watch will have to watch the fireplace well into Monday. Batteries have the property that the reaction does not stop, but they can heat up again and again, said the spokesman. With thermal imaging cameras, the guard can see whether a heat build-up is forming. In the morning, the remains of the batteries should then be put under water for several days in order to completely react.
The clouds of smoke visible from miles away, which had spread over the east of the city on Sunday evening, settled over the course of the night. The pollutant measurements were all negative, it said. Some residents complained of burning eyes, scratchy throats and a strong odor. However, these are the usual irritations that smoke can cause, it said. According to the measurements, however, there was no danger from the burning of batteries and rechargeable batteries on the premises. No toxic pollutants would have spread.
According to the information, about 30 emergency services breathed in smoke gas due to a sudden change in wind. Nobody got hurt. In the evening, the population was asked to keep windows and doors closed, a spokesman said. That warning was lifted around 3 a.m.