Dangerous Fire at Scrapyard in Essen, Smoke Reaches Dortmund 30 km Away

On Monday, February 24, in the early morning hours, a serious fire broke out on the extensive grounds of a scrapyard in the Essen-Katernberg district of the Ruhr region. The fire quickly engulfed large quantities of flammable materials stored there, including likely plastics and oil residues, causing intense, dark smoke.

Essen, with over half a million inhabitants, is one of the key industrial cities of the Ruhr region. For decades, this area was the heart of German coal mining and steel production, and after its restructuring in the second half of the 20th century, it developed a service and recycling sector. Katernberg is a district located in the northern part of the city. Due to the prevailing north-easterly wind in the region, the dense smoke cloud traveled a considerable distance. It was clearly visible in many parts of the Ruhr metropolitan area. Importantly, the smoke reached as far as Dortmund, a city located about 30 kilometers east of Essen. Authorities have not yet issued official statements regarding the potential health hazards of the smoke, although it is standard in such situations to advise avoiding being outdoors in the immediate vicinity of the fire. The fire department was alerted in the early morning hours and dispatched numerous units from Essen and surrounding towns to the scene. The firefighting operation is complex due to the nature of the burning material. Extinguishing scrap often requires the use of specialized firefighting agents, such as foam, to minimize the risk of fire spread and the emission of toxic substances. Scrapyards can harbor dangerous materials, including fuel residues, chemicals, or batteries, which complicates firefighters' work.

There is currently no information on the cause of the incident. Possible causes of fires at such facilities include electrical short circuits, welding work, spontaneous combustion of accumulated materials, or arson. The public prosecutor's office will likely launch an investigation into the matter once the blaze is under control. There are also no reports of casualties or the need to evacuate residents of nearby houses, indicating that the fire was quickly located and contained within the facility grounds. Services are checking whether there is a threat to nearby infrastructure, such as power lines or roads. Local authorities are monitoring the situation, and travelers through the region are advised to exercise caution due to possible traffic disruptions around the incident site. In summary, the dangerous fire at the scrapyard in Essen, while causing no casualties, had a significant visual and logistical impact, engaging numerous rescue services. A key aspect of the incident was the spread of smoke over a long distance, highlighting the scale of the fire and the influence of weather conditions on such events. Final findings regarding the cause and damages will be possible after the firefighting operation concludes and necessary investigations are conducted.