Rescue with turntable ladder

Fire in apartment: neighbor heard woman calling for help

The 83-year-old resident was brought to safety by the fire department using a turntable ladder.(Bild: Feuerwehr Matrei in Osttirol)

Fire alarm on Monday night in East Tyrol: a fire broke out in an apartment in a multi-party house in Matrei for reasons that are still unknown. Neighbors heard the resident's desperate cries for help and immediately raised the alarm. The 83-year-old woman was eventually rescued from the smoke-filled rooms.

A fire broke out in a third-floor apartment in the apartment building at around 0.45 am. A neighbor heard cries for help and immediately alerted the fire department. "In the meantime, her husband warned the other residents," fire department incident commander Martin Köll told the Krone newspaper. 

It was a matter of a few minutes.

Einsatzleiter Martin Köll

When the emergency services arrived, all the residents were safe - except for the 83-year-old occupant of the affected apartment. The pensioner was finally discovered in the totally smoke-filled apartment. "It was a matter of a few minutes," says Köll, describing the dramatic situation.

The apartment was completely filled with smoke.(Bild: Feuerwehr Matrei in Osttirol)

Resident brought to safety
The senior citizen was brought to safety by the emergency services using a turntable ladder and treated by the ambulance service - partly due to suspected smoke inhalation. The fire department, who had discovered the source of the fire in the kitchen, were able to quickly bring the situation under control.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Die Polizei

The exact cause of the fire is not yet known and is still under investigation. A total of 70 members and ten vehicles from the Matrei in Osttirol and Huben fire departments, two ambulances with four paramedics and two police patrols were deployed.