Early Saturday afternoon, a rear-end collision involving four vehicles occurred on the A60 near the Mainz-Laubenheim exit. Nine people sustained minor injuries. Fortunately, no one had to be taken to the hospital. Not all drivers heeded the road closure.

Around 3:30 p.m., a multi-vehicle traffic accident was reported on the A60 in the direction of Rüsselsheim. In addition to two ambulances, the Mainz Fire Department was also alerted. A vehicle from the Weisenau Volunteer Fire Department happened to be passing the accident site on a training run and took charge of the initial safety measures.

Near the Laubenheim on-ramp and the Downtown off-ramp, four vehicles had collided in the middle lane. According to witness statements, the first vehicle had to brake sharply, triggering a chain reaction. Firefighters and emergency medical services attended to a total of nine occupants (including two children), who fortunately were only slightly injured and were not trapped. Additionally, fuel was leaking from two vehicles.

Since drivers coming from Wormser Straße onto the A60 toward Rüsselsheim continued driving through the accident scene undeterred, the police closed the on-ramp. In addition, the Downtown exit and the two right lanes were closed so that emergency personnel could work safely. Due to the extensive accident scene, barriers were set up over a length of about 250 meters. Traffic backed up for about a kilometer in summery 30-degree Celsius weather.

Even that did not stop one driver from passing on the right side of the barriers and emergency vehicles and driving through the incident scene toward the city center. When asked about his driving behavior, the driver claimed that he did not recognize the six emergency vehicles and the traffic cones positioned to direct traffic as barriers, and that the shoulder and median strip were, in his view, a plausible route to the highway exit in that situation.

Emergency responders regularly encounter road users of all kinds—including pedestrians—ignoring barriers. As a result, people often put themselves and emergency responders in danger—even if this isn’t always immediately apparent from the outside. As in this case, emergency responders are often left simply amazed by the mindset of some people.

All nine people in the vehicles were able to remain at the scene after an examination and did not need or want to go to the hospital. An eight-year-old girl was given a fire department teddy bear to comfort her and dry her tears. Fortunately, no further medical treatment was necessary.

The fire department and emergency medical services concluded their operation after one hour. The Mainz Professional Fire Department, along with the Hechtsheim and Weisenau Volunteer Fire Departments, were on the scene with a total of six vehicles and 21 personnel, as well as two ambulances. The exact circumstances of the accident are being investigated by the police.

A smoldering fire broke out this morning in an office building housing a state agency. Employees noticed smoke and a burning smell in the building when they arrived for work.

The fire department responded with a crew of 18. Construction work had caused a smoldering fire, which spread into an expansion joint in the building’s structure.

Through extensive measures, the damage was contained to a manageable area, yet the operation lasted approximately 3 hours. The expansion joint had to be cleared out piece by piece. Subsequently, a fire hose was used to extinguish the fire in the lower sections.

Special mention must be made of the building’s staff, who responded appropriately and remained available throughout. Work had to be suspended due to the operation.

Additionally, the THW was called in for technical consultation. The emergency medical services and the police were also on the scene.

On Tuesday, August 12, a smoldering fire broke out in an apartment building in the Gonsenheim district of Mainz. Around 3:12 p.m., an alert resident noticed beeping smoke alarms and smoke coming from his neighbor’s apartment. The resident reacted quickly and prudently by immediately alerting the fire department and heading out to guide them to the scene.

The Mainz control center immediately dispatched crews from both fire stations to the scene. Upon inspecting the affected apartment, it was filled with smoke, and the smell of smoke could be detected outside the apartment. According to neighbors, the residents were not at home, so the fire department had to force entry.

When the apartment door was opened, thick smoke poured out; the spread of smoke into the stairwell was prevented with the help of a smoke barrier curtain. For unknown reasons, a smoldering fire had broken out in a living area of the apartment, causing toxic smoke to settle in all rooms.

After the fire was extinguished, the fire department rescued a seriously injured cat from the apartment. The emergency medical services on the scene immediately began administering oxygen to the animal. The fire department transported the cat to a nearby veterinarian as quickly as possible.

Thanks to the rapid and controlled response, the fire was prevented from spreading further. The affected apartment is temporarily uninhabitable due to the intensity of the smoke. The criminal investigation department has launched an investigation into the cause of the fire. A total of 20 firefighters with several vehicles were on the scene. They were supported by police and emergency medical services personnel.

In this context, the Mainz Fire Department emphasizes the importance of smoke detectors. Early detection of a fire and proper action can help quickly identify fires in an emergency and save lives.

On Thursday evening at 7:44 p.m., the Mainz Fire Department was called to a kitchen fire at a restaurant on Neckarstraße. The fire was caused by a deep-fryer that had caught fire. Even before the fire department arrived, the restaurant staff had reacted in an exemplary manner and completely evacuated the building. As a result, there were no injuries.

A team wearing breathing apparatus was able to quickly bring the fire in the kitchen under control. At the same time, a second team gained access to the inner courtyard to inspect the kitchen’s exhaust vent, which had become extremely hot. The fire had spread within this metal chimney. Through an inspection hatch, this source of the fire was also extinguished.

In the apartments above, smoke entered slightly through open windows. Some apartments had to be forcibly opened for inspection to prevent the smoke from spreading. The building was subsequently ventilated by the fire department. The restaurant is temporarily unusable. The extent of the property damage cannot yet be estimated.

In addition to the professional fire department, personnel from the city’s volunteer fire department were also on the scene. A total of 28 personnel with 7 vehicles were on site. The fire department was supported by the police, emergency medical services, and Stadtwerke Mainz. The operation concluded at 9:30 p.m.

The operation demonstrates how important it is to act prudently and quickly in the event of a fire. The immediate evacuation of the restaurant prevented potential injuries and facilitated the fire department’s response.

During the night from Saturday to Sunday, the fire department rescued a person from the Rhine who, according to their own account, had gone into the river to swim. While swimming, the swimmer lost their bearings in the darkness and began to tire. The swimmer called for help, triggering the rescue response. Personnel from the Mainz Fire Department, the Wiesbaden Fire Department, the DLRG (German Life Saving Association), and the Water Police were deployed on the Rhine, while emergency medical services and police were on land. Near the Kaisertor, the person was rescued from the water by the fire department and brought ashore. Fortunately, the person was uninjured but will be responsible for the costs of the operation. The operation involved 32 emergency responders.

Late Sunday evening at 8:20 p.m., the Mainz Fire Department was called to a kitchen fire at the nurses’ residence of the Catholic Hospital in Mainz. Several emergency calls consistently reported that people were still on the affected floor.

Due to the urgency of the situation, a large contingent of emergency personnel was immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon the arrival of the first units, the situation was as follows: Several items were on fire in a kitchen on the first floor. The fire had already caused heavy smoke to fill the adjacent hallway. Thanks to the existing safety systems and closed doors, the stairwell remained smoke-free and could be used as a safe escape route by the residents of the upper floors.

The fire department immediately launched a firefighting operation using breathing apparatus and was able to bring the fire under control quickly. At the same time, the building was searched for additional people, adjacent areas were checked for possible fire damage, and extensive ventilation measures were initiated. Fortunately, no one was injured.

A total of around 40 firefighters from the Mainz Fire Department—comprising units from the professional fire department as well as the Weisenau Volunteer Fire Department—were on the scene with several fire engines and special-purpose vehicles. The emergency medical services were also on site with several vehicles and provided medical care to the residents.

The combination of modern building technology, the calm behavior of the residents, and the rapid alerting of emergency services prevented more extensive property damage and injuries in this case.

The operation lasted just under two hours. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the police. The extent of the property damage cannot yet be estimated.

On Tuesday evening, a large-scale fire department operation took place in the waste bunker of the Mainz waste-to-energy plant on the Ingelheimer Aue. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. No one was injured. A total of approximately 130 emergency personnel were on site. The professional fire department was supported by seven volunteer fire departments.

The fire department was also supported by the Johanniter, who used a drone to search for heat sources. Additional volunteer fire departments held the line at the unmanned stations. Due to heavy smoke and odor, the public was informed via warning apps. After monitoring vehicles conducted air quality measurements in the surrounding area without detecting any abnormal levels, the warnings were lifted around 10 p.m.

The reason for the complex operation was the difficult access and the heavy smoke. Due to the smoke, visibility was severely limited, and the firefighters, equipped with respiratory protection, had to be rotated in and out repeatedly for rest breaks. Normally, the waste is removed by a crane with grapples, but due to the poor visibility, it was not possible to locate the burning waste from the crane cab.

Therefore, the emergency crews used foam to contain the heavy smoke. Thanks to the good cooperation between the fire department and the waste-to-energy plant’s operating staff, the major fire was gradually extinguished.

The fire was extinguished around 11:30 p.m. Two fire trucks remained on site for a short time to perform mop-up and inspection work.

Dangerous fires occur time and again in waste-to-energy plants, triggered by improperly disposed-of hazardous waste such as solvents, used oil, gas cartridges, spray cans, batteries, or rechargeable batteries. Even the smallest amounts of these substances can lead to explosions and smoldering fires in the facilities—with potentially serious consequences for the safety of employees and the entire plant. We therefore urge all citizens not to dispose of hazardous waste with household trash, but to use the designated collection points or drop it off at the recycling center. For electrical appliances, there are separate collection points or return options at retail stores.

The Mainz Fire Department was called to a water main break on Haydnstraße on Thursday evening around 6:20 p.m. Residents had reported a heavy water leak on the sidewalk near a construction site. The dispatch center alerted personnel from the professional and volunteer fire departments, as well as the responsible water utility.

The first responders on the scene determined that a construction crane was positioned in the immediate vicinity of the pipe break. Due to the heavy water flow and the areas that had been washed out, the crane’s stability could no longer be guaranteed.

The fire department immediately cordoned off and cleared the immediate danger zone. A total of 13 houses and 34 people were evacuated.

Additional personnel from the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) were alerted. They supported the on-site teams with a construction consultant and an incident site security system to monitor the crane. Medical disaster response teams were alerted to assist the evacuated residents.

As the operation continued, the crane was dismantled by the construction company, which had arrived in the meantime. Throughout the entire dismantling process, the emergency personnel provided support, and the danger zone was continuously monitored by THW staff and specialized equipment. The construction crane was approximately 20 meters tall and weighed a total of 28 tons, making the work particularly challenging. Fortunately, no dangerous situations arose during the entire dismantling process that would have compromised the crane’s stability.

The operation was completed after approximately 5 hours. A total of about 50 firefighters and disaster response personnel were on the scene. The operation was supported by a police patrol throughout the entire process. Residents are able to return to their homes, but there is no water supply on the street until the water main is repaired.