The fire in the port of Basel raises questions – TagesWoche



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Little is known yet after the great port fire

Smoke from railway sleepers on fire was not to be neglected. It was so high, so wide that it had become black-brown in the sky that even the airport of Basel-Mulhouse had to lock a track.





https://tageswoche.ch/stadtleben/dicke-rauchwolke-ueber-dem-hafengelaende/

Otherwise, there was uncertainty. From the moment it started burning on Friday, July 27, in the port area of ​​Kleinhüningen – at 2:15 pm – the first brief notice of the authorities should take 90 minutes. At that time, large parts of Little and Big Bases were covered with smoke. The statement did not help reassure. It was distributed at 3:44 pm via Twitter:

fire with heavy smoke in the port of Basel. Police and Rescue Basel-City recommends bypassing the area and closing the windows. #kapoBS #rettung #brand #hafen

On the spot, a police patrol crossed the area and asked residents to get inside and close the windows. The rescuers picked up people at the Dreiländereck. The Badi Bachgraben was dense. A few hundred meters south of the fire on the banks of the Rhine, where hundreds took advantage of the summer, no one came to give warnings. There, Radio X, broadcasting from the Marina Bar, broke its tents because of the smoke. In the neighborhood: not a few unstable people who have not been warned.

Neighborhood residents now have pressing concerns. Bike mechanic Martin Brändle and politician BastA! Heidi Mück call the responsible government adviser Christoph Brutschin (SP) in an open letter to "protect the population from the risks caused by toxins". For some time, the Office of the Environment and Energy (WUA) has not taken it seriously. Port authorities must also intervene, require letter writers and no longer store special waste in the port.

In summary: even after the extinction of the great fire, many questions remain unanswered. The week of the day put them together. The answers, if any, can be found here

What remains of one of the pyres in the harbor is now irrigated.

How did the fire start?

The cause of the fire is strong The Crown has not yet been authorized and is the subject of an investigation

What measures did Rhenus have? he's taking to avoid a fire at Port Logistics?

The company does not wish to comment on this case in the light of the ongoing investigation. She said, however, that railway ties were regularly watered to prevent the formation of dust and odors

Why were not sleepers removed? a long time ago – as promised on several occasions?

The thresholds at the Navis building – voluntarily, as the Rhenus announcement. In addition to the 2,000 tonnes of railway sleepers at the fire site, an additional 2,000 tonnes are currently stored at the Rhenus site. This corresponds to a total of about 13,000 thresholds. According to Rhenus, there is a permit from the authorities for storage.

Mountains of sleepers burned. However, an additional 2 000 tonnes – here in the photo taken on Monday 30 July – continue to be stored in the Kleinhüningen port area


How long did the arrival of firefighters?

11 minutes At the center of operations of the Basel-City Rescue Service, a first report was received at 14:19, in which the cantonal police of Basel-Stadt at 2:21 pm. At 1422, the internal alarm of the professional firefighters was completed. At 2:23 pm, the first fire brigade departed. At 2:30 pm, there were several "fire extinguishers" and police forces on the site

Where did the firefighters go?

The water of the firefighters has largely evaporated because of the high heat. l & # 39; energy. The rest was dried through the storage yard in the Port 1 Basin, where firefighters kept some of the pollutants through an oil barrier.

"Despite the measures, it is certain the extinction water with fire residues via the port 1 in the Rhine," admits Matthias Nabholz, boss of AUE.What substances and in which What concentrations is currently being analyzed in the cantonal environmental laboratory? Results are expected to be available on Tuesday.TagesWoche informs as soon as the results are announced.

According to the press release of the Public Prosecution Friday 17:20 , "it could be established that there was no danger to the population." According to the CFF, very toxic smoke is produced during the combustion of old railway sleepers.

With the measuring instruments used, "volatile acute toxic pollutants" can be measured during operations, say authorities.For the determination of pollutants were six teams of the B rigade industrial firefighters (IFRB) and Roche on the site. Specifically, "10 ppm carbon monoxide and 1 ppm nitrogen oxides" (ppm = parts per million, or parts per million) were measured – values ​​"well below the maximum occupational exposure". But the rescue recognizes in its response to the TagesWoche that everything can not be measured during a mission. "Other samples need to be analyzed," he says

What restrictions did the Rhenus authorities put on storage and protection from fire?

The storage period is not specifically limited. There are conditions that, for example, state that no hazardous or troublesome emissions from landfill or waste disposal sites can endanger the soil, water, water, or other waste. air or humans and their natural environment.

Fire checked. Measures are discussed to prevent further fires

Why have some residents been warned locally, but not all?

According to the authorities, the cantonal police of Basel-City demanded a strong smoke in the main fires each by default the population of the neighborhood affected by loudspeakers to keep the windows and doors closed. The smoke is still annoying and can cause discomfort, for example, whether there are other substances in the air or not. The usual procedures include – depending on the situation – the direct information of particularly exposed local institutions (hospitals, outpatient clinics, retirement homes, schools, recreation centers, etc.).

In the threshold fire, the sappers and other immediate measures to protect the population as disproportionate or unnecessary. This is due to an initial assessment of the situation and possible dangers that could result from the fire. She came to the conclusion that the event can be managed with the resources available

Why were the visitors to the tri-border area evacuated and also the Badi Bachgraben, while in d & # 39; 39 other places – playgrounds or Rhine?

Cantonal police response in Basel-City: "Neither the rescue of Basel-Stadt nor the cantonal police of Basel-Stadt have undertaken or provoked such evacuations. However: Immediately after the arrival of the police, it was possible to establish contact with the current employees of the company concerned (the Rhenus, ie the Red .). In addition, there was already a member of the marine police on site. These people were escorted out of the danger zone by the police. Other persons, who were in the Dreiländereck / Sandoase area, were able to leave the area at 5.30 pm by boat (Christoph Merian) or on foot (accompanied by the police). In addition, the Basilea 09 police boat would have been available for quick evacuations. It can be said that at no time was it a danger for the aforementioned people. "

The communication of the authorities in the event of an incident has been sharply criticized: should it not be clearer about the smoke?

The Department of Justice's Media Services and security and the prosecutor's office generally formulate the following: "The authorities can not give a factual confirmation of such events that secure information is available. They can only broadcast secure information, which is a challenge at the time of and social media, especially in terms of speed. In addition, in their information activities, authorities must repeatedly review the effects of their communication and the consequences (eg, panic in case of disproportionate siren alarm). It is therefore necessary to assess the communication needs of the population and the media, the known facts, the specific threats and the impact and proportionality of communication measures. "

Nevertheless, some would have liked a quicker communication, especially since the event would soon see and smell throughout the city.The fire was reported at 2:19 pm at the fire department. at 15:53 ​​clock was the first message ICARO (Disaster Information Radio Alarm Organization, where the Swiss Radio and Television, but also various local radio stations are connected) for the direct information of the population sent. At 15:50, a first verbal report on the fire was made by the prosecutor's spokesman.

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