Fire hazard or false alarms? Stuttgart-Schönberg in fire brigade stress!

Fire hazard or false alarms? Stuttgart-Schönberg in fire brigade stress!

In Stuttgart-Schönberg there have been a total of 26 fire brigade operations in the last 13 months, which were triggered by fire reports in a refugee accommodation. According to information from Stuttgarter Nachrichten, an increasing number of alarms have been triggered since the end of April 2025, with the majority having to be classified as false alarms. Of the seven fire reports registered, five were actually false alarms. The remaining two cases involved small fires in a kitchen and dust development during drilling work.

The refugee accommodation itself has space for up to 320 residents, the number of which has been increasing for some time. This has led to an increased frequency of alarms. With each alarm, a higher alert level is triggered due to the size of the building, meaning that 13 emergency vehicles and a total of 36 fire departments are put on alert. The costs for the city amount to around 2,200 euros per false alarm, which is usually borne by the city administration if no culprit can be identified.

False alarm challenges

False alarms are not only a financial problem, but also represent an enormous stress factor for the fire department. The city administration has discovered that fire alarm systems in refugee accommodation are often tampered with or handled improperly, which contributes to the increase in these false alarms. In Stuttgart, such cases are reported to the police because the incidents often indicate malicious intent.

The city plans to install heat detectors in the shared kitchens at Schönberger accommodation to reduce the number of false alarms while cooking. This could be one of the measures to increase safety and at the same time reduce the costs of unjustified fire service operations.

Assumption of costs and legal aspects

Firefighting operations, including false alarms, can result in significant costs. According to information fromkostencheck.de, municipalities in Germany can pass on the costs of operations to the person responsible if the alarm was triggered intentionally or was at least grossly negligent. Gross negligence can also be defined as inattentive behavior, such as forgetting to put food on the stove.

The costs for fire brigade operations vary depending on the type of operation and region. In critical areas, such as hospitals, costs can skyrocket - they are usually between 200 and 400 euros for a fire engine. Experience from Berlin shows that the cost per minute of use can be 4.70 euros. However, these regulations depend on the federal state and should be specifically researched by those affected.

What is particularly interesting is that smoke alarms are mandatory in almost all German federal states. This contributes to increasing the safety standard in real estate, but also brings with it the challenge of frequent fire brigade operations due to false alarms that can be triggered by everyday activities such as cooking or showering. Lawyer.de makes it clear that there is no obligation to pay for neighbors who have called the fire department out of legitimate concern, even if there is a false alarm.

The issue surrounding false alarms and their costs is not just a local problem in Stuttgart-Schönberg, but also affects many cities and communities in Germany. Responsibility and cost distribution remain a key aspect in dealing with the challenges posed by such alarms.