Torch work may have sparked house facade fire in Schönwies

A fire damaged the facade of a house in Schönwies in the Landeck district early Sunday, with work on a garage roof the previous day considered a possible cause, ORF reported.

The fire broke out shortly before 1.30 a.m. on the north facade of a detached house. Neighbours spotted the flames and used fire extinguishers to contain them before firefighters arrived, preventing the blaze from spreading.

Firefighters had to cut away parts of the wooden facade and remove insulation underneath to reach and extinguish hidden embers. No one was injured, but the fire and firefighting caused considerable damage to the house.

Fire crews from Schönwies and Landeck, with a total of 59 personnel and six vehicles, attended alongside the ambulance service and police. The fire was declared out at about 9 a.m. after further extinguishing work and repeated checks.