Baden-Württemberg: Arson? Power outage in Reutlingen

Reutlingen (Baden-Württemberg) – In the middle of the night there is suddenly no light in Reutlingen! After a fire in a substation, parts of the city are without power. Initial signs point to arson.

At 1:45 a.m. there was a fire in the substation in Reutlingen (population 118,000). Flames shot out of the facility and shortly afterwards entire areas were dark. A Mega power outage Reutlingen plunged into darkness. “Warning apps are triggered, which was also the case here,” said the police spokesman. Residents were informed about the situation.

30,000 affected people still without electricity

Districts of Reutlingen and several surrounding communities are affected. The fire has been extinguished since 5 a.m., but the consequences are still being felt. The power supply is still only partially restored. Mayor Thomas Keck: “The city center, the clinic and the east are back on the grid. But the largest district of Betzingen with 11,000 inhabitants, Ohmenhausen with 5,000 as well as Wannweil ​​and Kirchentellinsfurt are currently still without power.” In total, around 30,000 people are currently without electricity. Energy supplier Fairnetz GmbH is working hard on the restoration.

No forecast possible

According to a police spokesman, critical facilities such as retirement homes are also affected. In addition, the telephone and internet only work to a limited extent. It is unclear when supply will be restored across the board. “A reliable forecast for the complete restoration of the power supply is not yet possible,” the city of Reutlingen announced this morning.

Police are investigating arson

The power outage may have been deliberately triggered. According to network operator Netze BW, which shares the facility with regional network operator FairNetz, there are signs of arson. Three burns were found and the fence was also damaged. The police initially do not want to commit themselves and are investigating in all directions.

As a spokesman for the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office (LKA) explains, fire experts are involved. This is common in such incidents of a certain dimension. The police are not aware of any injuries caused by the fire. The damage caused is estimated at several million euros.

At times, up to 195 firefighters and police were on duty, supported by around 50 helpers from the DRK and Malteser. The city is expecting a longer deployment and is preparing to care for many affected people and patients. A staff in Pfullingen is coordinating the measures, and an emergency meeting point is also planned.