Tragic accident

Resident died in the flames

Shortly after midnight, this house in Ernstbrunn was engulfed in flames. The owner could only be rescued dead.(Bild: FF Ernstbrunn)

Shortly after midnight, the fire department in Ernstbrunn in the district of Korneuburg was alerted - the home of a retired couple was ablaze. While the woman (79) was able to escape to safety, the 83-year-old man was found dead in the rubble of the building.  

At 0.22 a.m., the fire department received an emergency call from a neighbor. When the emergency services arrived on the scene, the ground floor of the house was already fully engulfed in flames. The alarm level was immediately raised and the incident commander called in reinforcements from neighboring towns.

Flames engulfed the entire building
The firefighters were informed by a neighbor that the owners were still in the burning building. It soon emerged that the 79-year-old woman had escaped outside. However, the husband (83) remained missing until the early hours of the morning. The fire crews were unable to reach the ground floor of the house due to the enormous heat. In addition, the fire caught fire and the flames eventually spread to the upper floor.

The firefighters' equipment was covered in ice.(Bild: FF Ernstbrunn)

The freezing cold was a problem during the extinguishing work.(Bild: FF Ernstbrunn)

Freezing cold made extinguishing work difficult
The freezing cold caused problems for the firefighters during the extinguishing work. "The ground around the house and our equipment were iced over within a short space of time," explained a fire department spokesperson. On Wednesday night, the temperature in Ernstbrunn was around minus 10 degrees.

Homeowner found dead
Only when the fire was more or less contained did the fears become sad certainty. The previously missing owner (83) of the house was found dead in the charred rubble. The couple's dog also did not survive the fire. In the morning, officials from the State and Federal Criminal Police Office took over the investigation into the cause of the accident.