Fire department of Ennepe-Ruhr district operates for seven hours, with a workforce of 132 personnel.
In the evening of Friday, a fire broke out at Ewald Dörken AG on Wetterstraße in Herdecke. The Herdecke fire department was swiftly called to the scene, with the first responders arriving at around 20:07.
Upon arrival, the production facility was filled with smoke, indicating an extensive fire. The fire department, along with emergency services from Wetter (Ruhr), mobilised a massive deployment of forces, involving 9 fire departments and over 20 teams with heavy breathing protection.
The fire was traced back to a furnace where plastics were burning. Due to the complex layout of the facility and the spread of the fire, additional breathing protection teams were sent to combat the blaze.
As the incident commander reported, the fire was finally extinguished at 02:30, with the message "Fire out" issued. However, a smell nuisance persisted, and the public was precautionarily warned via the NINA warning app. An all-clear message was later issued around 1:19.
After cleanup at the scene, the responsibility was handed over to the police for cause investigation. Catering for the over 132 personnel on the scene was provided by the Johanniter Accident Assistance, with warm and cold drinks, pastries, and chocolate bars served, along with seating and resting areas.
The fire department Herdecke expressed their gratitude to all personnel for their efforts in the fire operation. It's worth noting that emergency services from the fire department in Wetter (Ruhr) were alerted to Herdecke due to the fire alarm on Millöckerweg. A team sent to investigate the fire alarm found only burnt food, which was quickly resolved.
Despite the fire reigniting around 22:10, no emergency services were injured during the incident. The search results do not provide specific names of the senior fire officers involved in the firefighting efforts in Herdecke.
After the exhaust system and its insulation were opened, extinguished, and heavily cooled, the smoke subsided, marking the end of a challenging night for the emergency services in Herdecke.
