Perpetrators caught

Four fires in just one hour in Graz-Eggenberg

On Wednesday evening, the Graz fire department had to respond to Eggenberg several times.

(Bild: Berufsfeuerwehr Graz)

On Wednesday evening, the Graz professional fire department had to respond to several fires in Eggenberg. One suspect was arrested.

Was a firebug at work here? At least that's what the incident report from the Graz professional fire department suggests. At around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, they were first alerted to a small fire outside the main railway station.

Only a few minutes later, several emergency calls were received by the fire alarm center. The callers reported several fires in the basement and stairwell area of an apartment building on Eggenberger Gürtel, a few hundred meters away from the first scene.

Third fire during the operation
When the professional fire department arrived, the stairwell and entrance area were heavily filled with smoke. Several residents had already tried to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers.

Residents were still trying to extinguish the fires themselves.

(Bild: thinkstockphotos.de)

Reports of another small fire on Eggenberger Gürtel were received during the control and safety work. Two garbage cans were on fire there, which were quickly extinguished by the professional fire department.

Around 45 minutes after the first operation at the main station, a caller reported another fire in an apartment building on Eggenberger Gürtel: a garbage can that had already been extinguished and some smoke in the stairwell were found.

Drugs involved

The police have since reported that a 34-year-old man was caught shortly after the fires and questioned on Thursday. He is probably connected to the series of fires. The suspect denied the arsons and spoke of memory lapses and probably showed mental confusion due to intensive drug use. The man will be reported to the public prosecutor's office in Graz for damage to property. The small fires apparently involved setting fire to bicycles, newspapers and various other items.