Fire breaks out at federal asylum centre in Zurich, cause still unclear

What happened

A fire broke out on the upper floor of the federal asylum centre on Pfingstweidstrasse in Zurich on Monday, 9 November 2026. Blick reports that the emergency call reached the police at around 17:00, and the Stadtpolizei Zürich confirmed the blaze. Photos and videos circulated by 20 Minuten, Blick and other outlets show flames coming out of a window on that floor and thick smoke spreading over the surrounding neighbourhood, including the area around the Schule für Gestaltung. The images had not yet been independently checked.

Response so far

Firefighters and paramedics were deployed to the area, and Schutz & Rettung Zürich confirmed the operation. Police said they could not yet release further details. The Alertswiss app had not published a warning about the smoke at the time of reporting. The spokesperson for Schutz & Rettung Zürich addressed the operation in a statement to 20 Minuten.

“We can confirm the operation, but further information will follow later.”

Open questions

The source reports do not establish what started the fire. No source reports injuries, and none gives a figure for the number of people affected. Rescue services have promised further information, and the reports covered so far contain no later update on the situation.