The organ is already playing

Hotel Fire: A Tough Night for Hundreds of Emergency Responders

The fire broke out on Monday evening (left) – and the situation on Tuesday morning (right).(Bild: Robert Isser, Philipp Neuner)

The major fire at a 5-star hotel in Seefeld, Tyrol, continued to require hundreds of firefighters, rescue workers, and police officers throughout the night. On Tuesday morning, mop-up operations were still underway—but the fire has since been declared “out.” The good news amid the darkness: The hotel’s main building appears to have been saved. So too was the church, where the organ was already playing again.

Shortly after 7 p.m. on Monday, the first fire departments were alerted to the fire at the well-known 5-star “Klosterbräu” hotel in the heart of Seefeld. Thick, black smoke rose into the evening sky, and massive flames were visible from afar.

The situation grew increasingly dramatic. At 8:19 p.m., an AT-Alert was issued for the region. More and more fire departments were called in for support. “All in all, around 30 fire departments were on the scene since the fire broke out,” according to the Tyrol Control Center. During the operation, the fire departments were rotated in and out repeatedly.

"Fire out" not until mid-morning
The all-clear had not yet been given by Tuesday morning. Firefighting operations continued. In the early morning hours, seven fire departments were still on site, the control center shift supervisor reported shortly after 5 a.m. in an interview with the “Krone.”

It was a very demanding and exhausting operation.

Landesfeuerwehrchef Rene Staudacher

Bild: Johanna Birbaumer

But then, in the course of the morning, there was a huge sigh of relief. The emergency crews were able to declare the fire out. All in all, around 400 firefighters were on the scene, including some from neighboring Mittenwald (Bavaria). “It was a very demanding and exhausting operation,” explained State Fire Chief Rene Staudacher. The wind and the double-roof construction had caused particular problems.

Roof sections on the mountain railway parking lot
By around 2 a.m., the situation had improved to the extent that “the smoke was no longer as heavy. A drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera flew over the burned-out ruins,” Elmar Rizzoli, head of crisis and disaster management for the state of Tyrol, told the “Krone” that morning. The fire departments were initially still engaged in mop-up operations. The roof was gradually opened using a crane. “The sections were then transported to the Rosshüttenbahn parking lot and extinguished there,” Rizzoli continued.

Then, on Tuesday morning, there was a first glimmer of hope: it appeared that the main building of the five-star hotel had been saved by the emergency crews.

Due to the difficult access to the affected roof area, an additional truck with a crane was dispatched to the scene.

Bezirksfeuerwehrverband Innsbruck-Land

“Intensive firefighting efforts” during the night
The fire had initially been contained in the evening, but the flames flared up again late at night. The “extensive firefighting efforts” continued throughout the night with “unabated intensity,” according to the district fire department association. “Due to the difficult access situation to the affected roof area, an additional truck with a crane was dispatched to the scene. The aim of this measure was to selectively remove parts of the roof structure in order to better locate hidden pockets of embers and effectively support firefighting efforts inside the building,” according to an update at 1:42 a.m.

150 people from neighboring hotels had to be evacuated late in the evening as a precaution. They were initially housed and cared for in the WM-Halle and subsequently distributed to hotels in the region. Surrounding establishments were also evacuated, according to the police.

Suspected Smoke Inhalation
According to the Red Cross, several people have required medical attention since the fire broke out. “One person due to a fall and five people due to suspected smoke inhalation. The latter were transported to hospitals for further evaluation,” officials reported late in the evening.

Thick smoke and flames several meters high were visible from a distance.(Bild: Robert Isser)

Welding work as the cause of the fire?
No definitive information could initially be provided regarding the cause of the fire or the exact extent of the damage. However, the damage is certainly massive. Roof openings had to be made at the hotel. The entire building was filled with smoke, which made it more difficult for firefighters to gain access. In any case, the interior is also likely to have been severely damaged.

The hotel was not in operation—i.e., closed—at the time the fire broke out, according to police. Construction work was taking place in and around the building. Whether the fire is related to this cannot yet be confirmed beyond a doubt. The cause of the fire will only be determined following the investigation once the fire has been extinguished.

Damage to the church was feared
There was also great concern for neighboring buildings. The danger to the surrounding buildings, many of which are also hotels, appears to have been averted. The church, which is immediately adjacent and structurally connected to the “Klosterbräu,” also seems to have escaped with only minor damage. Initially, potential structural issues had been suspected, so the church was closed as a precaution. There was also talk of possible damage to the organ.

The church is fine; the church has been reopened. There are no structural problems. The organ was just played. The church is saved.

Bürgermeisterin Andrea Neuner

Bild: Johanna Birbaumer

Mayor Andrea Neuner was then able to give the all-clear on Tuesday morning: “The church is fine; the church has been reopened. There are no structural issues. The organ was just played. The church is saved,” said the mayor, visibly relieved. 

Pastor Mateusz Kierzkowski was also relieved: “I thank all the emergency responders for their excellent work.”

AT-Alert lifted
Meanwhile, on Monday evening, residents had been urged via AT-Alert to close all windows, doors, and skylights in the immediate vicinity due to the fire and heavy smoke. People were also advised to avoid the center of Seefeld. Additionally, the public was asked to turn off ventilation and air conditioning systems in the immediate vicinity of the incident site.

The Seefeld municipal emergency response team finally decided early Tuesday morning to lift the AT-Alert hazard warning. “The instructions are therefore no longer in effect. Firefighting operations are still ongoing at the scene, but there is no longer significant smoke development,” they stated. However, firefighting operations were still underway.

Rizzoli on the operation: “Fortunately, many fire departments arrived on the scene very quickly. A major fire like this in the town center could have ended very differently.”