The fire broke out around 3 a.m. in the area of ​​the roof structure of the Hotel Knappenhof. A fire alarm in the house sounded the alarm, says Pinzgau district fire brigade commander Klaus Portenkirchner.

Due to the adverse weather and road conditions, access to the hotel was extremely difficult. The water supply, on the other hand, was not a problem because the Saalach flows right next to the Knappenhof. The hotel consists of three assembled objects, which also house the “Dance Heaven” and the “Apresworld”.

Nobody hurt

According to Portenkirchner, the evacuation of the hotel was uncomplicated: “Our first goal was to save the preserved buildings,” said the fire brigade commander. These are only a few meters away. Since the hotel has a tin roof with snow on it, the flames could not spread upwards, but spread to the floors below and next to it. “The roof acts like an umbrella, which is why it cannot be extinguished from above.” Luckily no one has been injured so far.

Difficult use

Due to the difficult operation, which was made even more difficult by storm, cold and sleet, the fire brigade had to raise the alarm several times, so that finally 200 volunteers from many communities in the district were on duty. In the morning, a crane was requested to remove the tin roof so that the fire can be effectively extinguished through this opening.

Firefighting work until the afternoon

Portenkirchner estimates that the extinguishing work will last until Monday noon before “fire out” can be given. A little over ten years ago – on the Christmas holidays in 2011 – the Hotel Gemmtalerhof of the Salzburg FPÖ chairman Karl Schnell burned down just three houses away.