Shortly after 1:10 a.m., the cantonal emergency call center in St. Gallen received a report about a basement fire in an apartment building, according to a police report. The fire brigade evacuated all residents from the building. Some of the people on the balconies had to be rescued because the stairwell was too smoky. Nobody got hurt. All evacuees were temporarily housed in a nearby schoolhouse.
The fire brigade was able to quickly extinguish the basement fire. Due to the extensive smoke damage, the apartments are no longer habitable for the time being. The city of Wil has organized alternative accommodation where necessary.
Arson is the main possible cause of the fire. A 29-year-old Swiss man was arrested. He is accused of setting the fire. The exact cause of the fire is still being clarified.
At 3:40 a.m., the second fire alarm was reported to the emergency call center in an empty ground floor apartment in an apartment building. The fire brigade was able to quickly bring the fire under control.
At the time the fire broke out, there were two people in the building who called the fire brigade. However, a 47-year-old man who is believed to have inhaled smoke gas was unwilling to seek medical treatment.
Arson was the main cause of the fire in this case. The exact cause is being clarified by the forensic competence center of the St. Gallen cantonal police.
Whether there is a connection between the two fires cannot be said at this time, the police continue to write. It is also unclear whether the arrested 29-year-old could be responsible for both fires. This is the subject of ongoing investigations by the police under the direction of the public prosecutor’s office.
A total of around 80 firefighters as well as several patrols from the canton police and several ambulances with an emergency doctor were on duty.
(sda)
