Fire destroys all 30 containers at municipal shelter in Wentorf, no injuries reported

What happened

A fire broke out on Thursday morning, 29 October 2026, in a municipal residential shelter built from containers on Südring in Wentorf, in the Herzogtum Lauenburg district near Hamburg. According to police, the blaze started in one room and spread quickly to other rooms and further containers. A police update published in the afternoon says all 30 residential containers burned and are no longer habitable. Firefighters from Wentorf and several neighbouring units took over the firefighting, with some crews working from turntable ladders while smoke poured out beneath the two-storey container roof. Aerial images showed the flames moving through the roof from the middle of the square structure.

Residents and rescue

An early police statement, given around midday, said no people were in the building. Later reporting confirmed that all 20 residents had left the shelter and none were injured. Police said the residents have already been housed elsewhere. The amount of property damage is not yet known.

Residents who escaped unhurt20

Containers burned30

Residents who escaped unhurt

20

Containers burned

30

Data from the article text

Cause and investigation

The cause of the fire remains unclear. The Kriminalpolizei Reinbek has sealed the site and started investigating the cause. As of the afternoon, the fire operation had not yet been completed.