Battery packs ignite carport fire that spreads to Salzburg home

Battery packs stored in a carport apparently set a parked car on fire in Neumarkt am Wallersee in Salzburg’s Flachgau region, with the flames then spreading to the attached home, ORF reported.

Several cells in the stored battery packs are believed to have caught fire. The car’s petrol tank subsequently burst. The extent of the damage remains unknown.

About 170 firefighters with 23 vehicles responded, supported by the Red Cross and police. When they arrived, the home and carport were already fully ablaze. The owner had tried to extinguish the flames but was unsuccessful.

A firefighter suffered minor injuries, while the homeowner sustained injuries of unspecified severity and was taken to hospital.

The fire was brought under control on Saturday afternoon. Firefighters continued extinguishing hotspots and carrying out follow-up work throughout the day.