"Krone" on site:

Fear and anger over arsonists in a council building

View from the charred window of the huge municipal building on Muhrhoferweg.(Bild: Stefan Steinkogler)

Both last week and on Saturday night, the council building on Simmeringer Muhrhoferweg was broken into and set on fire. While some residents are furiously clearing charred remains from their cellar compartments, others no longer trust anyone. A "Krone" local inspection. 

The sun is shining brightly, numerous families and pensioners are taking advantage of the Saturday afternoon for a pre-spring walk in the lush green parks around the huge municipal building between Muhrhoferweg and Flammweg. During the "Krone"'s on-site inspection, there is not much to suggest that the situation in the complex with almost 1000 apartments is tense due to suspected serial burglars and arsonists. 

Stiege 14 (right) burned a week ago, Stiege 16 (center) on Saturday night.(Bild: Stefan Steinkogler)

(Bild: Stefan Steinkogler)

Igniters struck only 50 meters from the police 
Only when you approach Stiege 14 and 16, located in the same block of flats and only fifty meters from the Sängergasse police station, do you see the ripped-out basement windows and blackened facades. On Saturday night, a fire raged in the basement rooms - numerous residents had to be brought outside by the fire department. 

I'm not scared yet, but it hasn't been fun in our neighborhood for a while.

Franz M. sah die Flammen von seinem Balkon aus

Blue lights every week: "Not again"
Those same blue lights also irritated Erna (name changed on request). Despite the drama, the sprightly pensioner leads the "Krone" into the charred cellar with a smile and a flashlight. The previous week, the 14er Stiege had already been full of fire engines - a 16-year-old girl suffered severe smoke inhalation in the inferno, also in the cellar. "Not again", Erna thought to herself as the fire department moved out to her staircase. She stayed in her apartment anyway. 

Erna led the "Krone", complete with flashlight, into what was left of the cellar compartments.(Bild: Stefan Steinkogler)

Kindergarten on the first floor of the fire house
However, most of the residents were evacuated outside. The fact that the fire did not break out during the day is a relief to many. After all, there is a kindergarten on the first floor. It's hard to imagine what could have happened. Now many residents are afraid of possible future fires. Anyone who behaves conspicuously is suspected. Erna doesn't want to open the door to anyone either. 

Soot sticks to one of the fire extinguishers that was initially used to fight the fire.(Bild: Stephan Schätzl)

Unrest around the Muhrhoferweg
The neighborhood hasn't really wanted to settle down since then. Shortly after the "Krone" leaves Muhrhoferweg on Saturday, the fire department races into Sängergasse. All-clear, no arson. A lunch was burnt. A few hours later, a 58-year-old woman dies in an inferno in her apartment in Lorygasse. Here, too, there was no evidence of arson.

On Muhrhoferweg, however, people are already dreading the next weekend. No one has been caught yet. Back in the 1970s, a series of fires kept the area in suspense. Incidentally, the fires were started by a janitor.