Report concludes: Fire at food manufacturing facility necessitated the presence of firefighters and THW in Elmshorn

In the heart of Elmshorn, Germany, a significant incident unfolded on Wednesday evening, August 13, 2025, at a production facility. The facility, owned by a company that processes leftover grain from oat flake production into pellets, saw a fire break out in one of its silos.

The fire, initially contained to the pellet press and a nearby 60 cubic meter silo, was discovered around 11:30 PM. Employees of the company took immediate action to limit the fire's spread, but the labor-intensive nature of the fire extinguishing efforts required a substantial response.

Over 100 emergency service personnel from six different fire departments, including Seester and Horst, with around 40 personnel each, and FF Alveslohe, were deployed to combat the blaze. The fire department that transported a water tanker was FF Alveslohe.

The facility, spanning several floors and connected via conveyor belts and ventilation systems, posed a challenge in containing the fire. To aid in the effort, technicians from the Kölln Works were called in for assistance.

The firefighters had to open the press under heavy breathing protection and clear it by hand, extinguish smoldering production residues, and remove them from the building. A pipe was installed to transport grain residues into a trough and bring them to containers outside the building.

More than 30 breathing apparatus carriers were in use throughout the night, and a telescopic wheel loader from the THW Pinneberg was called upon to assist in removing pellet residues. The head of the production site, Dr. Friederike Driftmann-Egelhof, the Chairwoman of the Management, oversaw the response efforts.

Despite the extensive efforts, the cause of the silo fire remains under investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that fine grain residues caught fire due to measurements with a thermal imaging camera and so-called "heulanzens." The amount of pellet residues recovered from the facility was several cubic meters.

The fire was finally extinguished around 2:45 AM, marking the end of a challenging night for the emergency responders. The ongoing investigation aims to determine the fire's cause and the extent of the damage.

Report concludes: Fire at food manufacturing facility necessitated the presence of firefighters and THW in Elmshorn