Overview
- Two sealed digester tanks at a rural biogas facility in Eggenthal were completely alight in a major blaze that required a large emergency response.
- A combined force of 182 firefighters and rescue personnel battled the fire and stopped flames from reaching a third tank or nearby farm buildings, with follow-up extinguishing work continuing into the evening.
- The plant operator was injured at the scene and flown by helicopter to an accident clinic for treatment.
- Local police units conducted initial on-site examinations and the criminal-police station in Kaufbeuren has taken over the investigation; the fire’s cause and the total damage estimate remain unknown.
- Biogas digesters hold methane-rich gas and organic slurry, which raises the risk of fast-spreading fires and structural loss and could affect farm operations, insurance claims, and local safety procedures as investigators work to determine whether technical failure or human error was involved.