UPDATE, JULY 3, 2024: Fire officials state that it took 20 hours to put out the fire that started at the Lürssen Rendsburg shipyard yesterday. Local media also report that the nearby residents who had evacuated as a precaution returned to their homes last evening. Investigators anticipate being able to enter the shed later this week, as the internal temperatures normalize, to begin determining how it started. In the meantime, a shipyard spokesperson has released an updated statement:
The fire that occurred on Tuesday in a shipbuilding hall at the Lürssen-Kröger shipyard has been extinguished since the early hours of the morning. We will now begin the clean-up work step by step in coordination with the responsible authorities. Shipyard operations have been suspended for today and will be gradually restarted in designated areas of the shipyard site from tomorrow, depending on the circumstances. Employees will be kept informed of the latest developments. Please understand that we are unable to provide any further details until further notice.
Read on for our original article.
Fire has partially destroyed one of Lürssen’s facilities in Germany. Though the flames at the Lürssen Rendsburg shipyard are not spreading, firefighters expect to remain on scene through the evening.
According to a police spokesperson in a video interview with the German newspaper Bild, an eyewitness reported light smoke emerging from a hall at 9:20 a.m. local time. The first emergency-services personnel to arrive confirmed the situation. However, the fire and smoke worsened, to the point that flamed engulfed both the hall and the unnamed yacht inside. Emergency personnel evaluated residents of an adjacent residential area as a precaution. Nearby residents received warnings to keep windows and doors closed due to the smoke, too. “Part of the outer façade fell due to the enormous heat,” adds Michael Heinrich, the spokesperson. Despite this, he adds, only one person required treatment, for smoke inhalation.
The German newspaper Kieler Nachrichten confirms the same information, though with more detail. According to its report, the Lürssen Rendsburg shipyard management evacuated employees because of the increasing smoke. Additionally, it cites the police as saying firefighters contained the fire to the hall by the early afternoon. Two canal ferries assisted the efforts by pumping water from the adjacent Kiel Canal. But, emergency personnel were still arriving on scene to assist. “The fire-fighting work will continue into the night and tomorrow,” says Daniel Passig, a fire department spokesperson.
As of the early afternoon, the yacht inside the Lürssen Rendsburg shipyard was apparently still on fire. Kieler Nachrichten indicates she’s a 262-footer (80-meter), but doesn’t cite a name nor the source of the information. Furthermore, also during the early afternoon, as many as 200 firefighters and emergency personnel were at the yard. “But the number will grow to 300 over the course of the day,” Passig notes.
A Lürssen spokesperson issued the following statement:
A fire occurred in a shipbuilding hall at the Lürssen-Kröger shipyard early this morning. All necessary evacuation measures were initiated immediately. One person was slightly injured and is receiving emergency medical treatment. The fire brigade and police are on site. Please understand that we are currently unable to say anything about the cause of the fire.
The Lürssen Rendsburg shipyard focuses on new-build superyachts from 180 to 361 feet (55 to 110 meters) and some refits. The yacht Haven saw construction there, departing on her delivery voyage earlier this year.
Lürssen lurssen.com
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