Stable fire in Bresegard: 10,000 animals die into flame hell!

Stable fire in Bresegard: 10,000 animals die into flame hell!

In late Monday morning, Bresegard at Picher was a devastating stable fire, which kept all alarmed emergency services in suspense. There were around 10,000 wing animals in the affected stable facility, which did not survive the cruel fate. Shocked by the dimension of the accident, the preliminary damage is estimated at around one million euros. A smoke cloud that was visible for miles testifies to the intensity of the fire. Over 50 firefighters from seven different fire departments made a courageous effort and were able to control the fire after around two hours. A sad sight - when the fire brigade arrived, the facility was already in full fire. The fire brigade also used a turntable ladder to master the situation.

But this misfortune is not an isolated case. The incident is associated with a worrying wave of stable fires in Germany. The fire in Picher is reminiscent of a similar tragedy that occurred on March 30, 2021 in Alt Tellin, where around 60,000 pigs fell victim to the flames. In such dramatic incidents, the discussion about the prevailing fire protection regulations comes back. Many criticize that necessary building law changes and fire protection measures have so far been insufficiently implemented, while such disasters are repeatedly taking place.

The call for better regulations

Greenpeace has raised sharp allegations in this context. Animal protection is held up in this country, but according to a statement by Greenpeace, which was published on May 15, legal fire protection requirements and minimum requirements for saving animals are often not met. A report created by the Berlin specialist lawyer for administrative law, Ulrich Werner, describes regular violations of applicable law and the disregard of the Animal Welfare Act. This allows the conclusion that the risk of repeating such fire disasters is high, if not acted immediately to improve the legal requirements.

statistics and the urgent need for action

In Germany, hundreds of thousands of farm animals lose their lives every year due to stable fires or the failure of forced ventilation systems. According to the German Law Society for Animal Welfare Law (DJGT), the Animal Welfare Act is not sufficient to protect animals from such dangers. Despite the alarming figures, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has not issued any new regulations since 2013.

In order to prevent such catastrophic events in the future, the DJGT demands extensive reforms of animal welfare law. This suggests changes that could significantly improve safety standards for stable systems. This includes the installation of functional replacement ventilation systems, alarm systems in the event of fire or technical failure as well as the provision of emergency generator. It is also required that all systems are regularly checked by expert persons.

The tragedies that take place in stable systems urgently require a rethink to ensure the safety of the animals and to avoid future fire disasters. The recent incidents clearly show that time is pushing to act. Let's go together to a safe future for our farm animals - so that the horror of Bresegard does not repeat.