Fire at Vienna's George Washington Hof: 35 firefighters, no injuries
A fire broke out on Sunday afternoon at the George Washington Hof, the listed council housing estate in Vienna's 10th district, Favoriten. According to the Vienna fire brigade, the blaze started at around 17:30 in the Fliederhof, a section of the estate that is currently not occupied. A large column of black smoke rose above the district and could be seen from far across the city, and onlookers gathered near the scene in Eschenallee. Photos from the site show the roof area of the building in flames, and firefighters later described it as a heavily burning structure on top of the building.
The fire brigade sent eight vehicles and 35 firefighters. Residents of neighbouring parts of the estate were evacuated as a precaution. The fire did not spread to other buildings, and by around 18:00 the brigade reported that it was out. Nobody was injured. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
It was the second major call-out of the day for Vienna's professional fire brigade. In the early hours of Sunday, a roof fire in an apartment building in Döbling killed a 46-year-old woman who lived there.
For residents of the George Washington Hof and nearby streets, the fire is out and did not spread. If you see smoke or flames in a building, call the fire brigade on 122 straight away, leave the building by the stairs rather than the lift, and close doors behind you to slow the spread of smoke. Municipal housing tenants can report damage or safety concerns to Wiener Wohnen.