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Drama in Schönau: Fire in the dryer puts the pension in smoke!
In Schönau, Viechtach, a laundry fire at night led to heavy smoke and a fire department call-out. One person was slightly injured.
Drama in Schönau: Fire in the dryer puts the pension in smoke!
On the night of July 18, 2025, there was a nighttime fire brigade operation in the Schönau district of Viechtach, Regen district. The cause was a fire in the dryer of a guesthouse, which caused a lot of smoke. The laundry in the dryer had caught fire, causing the smoke to quickly spread throughout the building. A total of twelve people were affected, with one person suffering minor burn injuries. The cause of the fire is believed to be massage oil residue combined with the heat from the dryer, a dangerous combination, experts warn.
The fire department was immediately alerted and, in addition to two ambulances, an emergency doctor and the BRK operations manager from Viechtach were on duty. Paramedics in the first ambulance were able to quickly assess the situation, so the remaining emergency services stopped their journey. The operation lasted from approximately 12:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. After the end of the operation, the guesthouse guests were able to return to their rooms.
Special requirements for fire protection
The cause of the fire in the current case highlights the dangers that can arise from unsaturated fatty acids in towels. According to an analysis by Haufe Freshly washed towels can self-ignite if they have greasy residue. These residues react with oxygen and generate heat, which when combined can lead to devastating fires. Institutions such as kitchen laundries, masseurs and saunas are particularly affected.
To prevent such fires, experts recommend washing very greasy laundry at least twice, allowing laundry to cool before stacking, and setting up special storage areas with increased fire safety measures. In this case, appropriate precautionary measures would have been particularly important.
Emergency services on site
The operation in the Viechtach district was led by Commander Stephan Schrötter. He was supported by the fire departments from Wiesing, Viechtach and Blossersberg, and district fire chief Alexander Iglhaut was also on site. The effective use of numerous forces helped the fire to be quickly brought under control before it could cause major damage.
In this case, the careful actions of the fire department and paramedics prevented anything worse from happening. The events in the guesthouse illustrate not only the importance of fire protection, but also the need to identify and eliminate potential causes of fire in a timely manner. The operation shows how important sophisticated fire protection measures are in hotel facilities.