Defective battery triggers mass evacuation after basement fire in Hallein!

Defective battery triggers mass evacuation after basement fire in Hallein!

Hallein, Österreich - in Hallein there was a fire in a multi -party house on May 23, 2025, which was probably triggered by a defective battery of a battery -operated device. The battery was damaged externally, which further condensed the cause of the fire. The incident occurred in the basement of the building and led to serious damage in the six -digit euro range. The police have initiated an investigation into possible negligence, since other ignition sources could not be identified, such as Salzburg24 reports .

The fire brigade was in use at night to control the fire. A total of seven respiratory protection teams were mobilized to combat the fire. Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured, but three people had to be taken to the hospital with suspicion of flue gas poisoning. The 20 evacuated residents were temporarily accommodated in the nearby musicum, while the staircase and the apartments with co-measuring devices were checked, such as Sn.at reports .

Fire brigade use and damage situation

The operations manager reported at 2.24 a.m. that the fire was under control. At 3:00 a.m. all fire spots were deleted. The fire brigade had to partially clear the basement and secure propane gas bottles to avoid further risks. Another sign of the urgency of the use was the pressure ventilation of the building, which was used to remove the remaining flue gas. The dismantling and the cleanup took until the early hours of the morning.

The cellar compartment was then secured by the police as a crime scene, and the cause of the fire remains the subject of the investigation. This is particularly tragic, since battery fires are often difficult to handle, such as Vlitex. Lithium-ion batteries are not only indispensable in modern devices such as electric cars and smartphones, they also represent special challenges for firefighters due to their high energy density.