Following a roof truss fire in Connewitz: flats rendered uninhabitable and two bars facing ruin

Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar: Zum deutschen Artikel.

A roof truss fire in Connewitz kept the fire brigade busy for many hours on Tuesday; fighting the blaze proved to be a tough and difficult task. Considering what could have happened, the outcome was relatively mild: one woman required outpatient treatment for smoke inhalation. However, many residents have lost their homes – and two bars have lost their livelihoods. Appeals for donations for those affected are now circulating online.

Two days after the roof truss fire in Connewitz, the flats in a building on Wolfgang-Heinze-Straße are deemed uninhabitable. According to a report by the website “la-presse.org”, nine tenant households are currently affected. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, at around 2.30 am, flames burst from the upper floor of the block of flats and spread to the roof truss. Around 30 residents were evacuated and accommodated in an LVB bus provided for the occasion. The cause is under investigation.

Flat destroyed, two bars left with nothing

A 38-year-old woman who had inhaled smoke was treated as an outpatient. Otherwise, the good news is that there were no injuries. However, bringing the fire under control proved more difficult than expected, with flames flaring up repeatedly. Around 50 members of several fire brigades battled hour after hour until around 11.00 pm on Tuesday evening. The emergency services had to mobilise enormous quantities of water and pump it into the building to bring the situation under control.

The result is extensive water and smoke damage to the flats. Many people have lost their livelihoods, along with furniture, household goods, possessions and personal mementoes that no one can replace for them. As well as private homes, two bars have also been affected – venues that serve as vibrant neighbourhood meeting places in the Connewitz area: the Black Label, which has been a fixture in the neighbourhood for years, and the relatively new Zenda Bar.

The future is uncertain for both venues: “We’ve had a terrible night and a terrible morning. We’re overwhelmed, speechless and don’t really know how to move forward from here,” wrote the Black Label on Facebook shortly after the fire. A concert by the US metal band Glacier, scheduled to take place there on Monday, was quickly moved to the “Stö klein” in nearby Stockartstraße. The Zenda Bar also stated that it did not yet know what the future held and expressed its gratitude for the support and solidarity shown.

Calls for monetary and in-kind donations

And these appeals appear to be working: Juliane Nagel, a left-wing city councillor and member of the state parliament, has launched a fundraising campaign through which people can easily send money to the fire victims via bank transfer or PayPal: “The money will be collected and passed on directly to those affected – tenants and businesses – to cover accommodation, basic living essentials and reconstruction,” the statement reads.

Donations in kind are also possible and welcome: the group “Skinheads Leipzig” is asking for donations such as food, towels, bed linen, pillows, duvets and toiletries. Power banks and charging cables are also in demand, as are dog beds, bowls and food. Items can be dropped off at Conne Island at set times.

“You have a strong community behind you and together we’ll get through this,” someone comments encouragingly under Black Label’s Facebook post. Many express similar sentiments and offer their support. What has happened is sad – yet the solidarity in the midst of this tragedy is palpable and gives strength.