Series of fires in Wermelskirchen: Police are investigating attempted murder!

Series of fires in Wermelskirchen: Police are investigating attempted murder!

On the night of Saturday, June 7th, a dramatic series of fires occurred in Wermelskirchen, keeping the city's residents in suspense. According to information from Cologne City Gazette Unknown people allegedly set fire to three apartment buildings. The police have now started an investigation on suspicion of attempted murder.

The first fire broke out in an apartment building on Friedrichstrasse at 3:50 a.m., followed by another, more serious incident on Obere Waldstrasse at 4:40 a.m., where the attic of a building with 16 residents burned out completely. Ten people were injured here, three of them seriously. The last fire occurred around 6:40 a.m. on Telegrafenstrasse, where the fire broke out in the basement of another apartment building, but no injuries were reported.

Evacuation and deployment of the fire department

The fire brigade was quickly on site and evacuated a total of 40 residents. Many of them had to be rescued using turntable ladders because the stairwells were heavily smoked. Ten injured people were released from hospitals over the weekend, but the affected buildings are currently uninhabitable.

What is particularly explosive is the suspicion that the fires were deliberately set at bedtime. Two men who were seen riding an e-scooter near the third scene of the fire have already been targeted by investigators. Significant attention was paid to surveillance of the two suspects after witnesses described two men dressed in dark clothing at 4:15 a.m.: one with dark skin and the other with light skin, both aged about 20 to 25.

Investigations and call for witnesses

The investigation is being conducted by the Cologne Police Homicide Squad and the State Security Department. The police are calling on the public to help: If you have any information about the incidents or the suspicious people, you can call 0221 229-0 or send an email to poststelle.koeln@polizei.nrw.de.

Arson is not a rare phenomenon in Germany. In recent years, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office, a high number of cases have been registered between 2014 and 2024, raising awareness of this type of crime. The incident in Wermelskirchen has once again brought the issue of arson into focus, and investigators have a lot of work to do. The residents hope for information and security in their neighborhoods as quickly as possible.

Further information is expected from the public prosecutor's office and the Cologne police as the investigation into the cause of the fire and the perpetrators continues. Stay tuned!