Fire Destroys House

Parents Escape from Inferno with Young Children

The family’s home burned to the ground.(Bild: ZOOM Tirol)

A fire alarm went off early Wednesday morning in Wattens in the Tyrolean Unterland: A remote single-family home on Vögelsberg was engulfed in flames. The parents were able to escape to safety with their two children (ages 1 and 2). Well over 100 emergency responders battled the inferno. However, the building could not be saved. Supplying water for firefighting proved particularly difficult.

Shortly before midnight, the fire broke out at the remote single-family home on the Vögelsberg. “Around 11:50 p.m., the 39-year-old woman woke up because she heard a crackling sound. She immediately alerted her husband. He then left the bedroom and could already see an orange-red glow through the front door,” the police reported in response to a query from “Krone.”

Escaped Outside Through the Basement Exit
When the man opened the door, flames were already surging toward him. The 40-year-old and his wife grabbed their two children—a 1-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy—and fled outside through the basement exit.

The fire spread in the blink of an eye. By the time the first emergency responders arrived on the scene, the house was already fully engulfed in flames.

Difficulties with Water Supply
Gradually, other fire departments from the region and even the Innsbruck professional fire department were called in for support. In particular, the house’s remote location and the poor water supply there posed problems for the emergency responders. Long supply lines for firefighting water had to be laid. A shuttle service for firefighting water was also set up.

Increased risk of wildfire
The adjacent forest area also posed challenges for the emergency responders. However, thanks to the fire department’s swift and courageous intervention, the fire was prevented from spreading to the forest or to an adjacent building.

Family Staying with Relatives for Now
The affected single-family home, however, could not be saved—it burned to the ground. Two cars parked in front of the house were also completely destroyed by the fire. One firefighter had to be taken to the hospital with suspected smoke inhalation. According to the police, the 39-year-old resident and the two young children were admitted to the Innsbruck hospital for observation.

In the early morning hours, the fire was finally declared out. The affected family has since found shelter with relatives. The cause of the fire is still unclear. The police have launched an investigation.

The fire departments of Wattens, Vögelsberg, Volders, Wattenberg, Großvolderberg, and Baumkirchen, along with the Innsbruck Professional Fire Department, emergency medical services, and the police, were on the scene.