PVTIME – A severe blaze broke out in a warehouse complex in Neumünster, Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany, in the early hours of 30 June. The fire originated in a large stock of lithium batteries for electric scooters stored in one of the units, triggering a chain reaction of thermal runaway and engulfing the entire building in flames. The dense, toxic black smoke generated by the fire spread across the urban area and could be seen several kilometres away.
The affected warehouse complex, which covered a total floor area of 40,000 m², sustained partial structural collapse during the fire. Preliminary assessments suggest that the incident will result in economic losses amounting to millions of euros. Regional emergency services launched one of the most extensive firefighting operations in the local area in recent years in response to the incident. Between 250 and 300 firefighters from Neumünster and neighbouring districts, including Hamburg, were deployed to conduct round-the-clock firefighting efforts.
However, fire suppression work failed to achieve full containment by the afternoon of 30 June, and reignition risks remained on site into the early morning of 1 July. Deutsche Bahn suspended railway services on the Hamburg–Kiel and Hamburg–Flensburg lines, which run adjacent to the fire zone, due to safety concerns stemming from the ongoing blaze. Local authorities have launched an official investigation into the cause of the fire, and the relevant findings are pending.
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