Oberweningen: major fire destroys wood processing plant | Canton Zurich
Shortly after midnight, the Operations Center for Protection & Rescue Zurich received a report that a fire had broken out in a carpentry shop in Oberweningen. Shortly after the arrival of the immediately deployed emergency services, a commercial building was already fully engulfed in fire. The fire, which spread quickly, completely destroyed several buildings belonging to the company. The damage caused is likely to exceed one million Swiss francs. Shortly before 4 a.m., the fire brigade had largely extinguished the fire; However, due to embers flaring up again and again, selective extinguishing work will still be necessary in the next few hours.
Shortly before the fire broke out, a thunderstorm swept across the region, which means that a lightning strike cannot be ruled out as the cause; However, the exact cause of the fire has not yet been clarified and is being investigated by the fire investigation service of the Zurich cantonal police.
For security reasons, 28 people were evacuated from residential properties near the wood processing plant and temporarily accommodated in the community hall. Around 5 a.m., eight families were able to return to their apartments and houses. Four other families organized private accommodation with relatives and friends.
Because of the major fire, Wehntalerstraße in the area of the event is still closed. A local diversion is signposted.
In addition to the Zurich cantonal police, there were the Dielsdorf base fire brigade, the Wehntal fire brigade, the Ehrendingen-Freienwil and Regensdorf fire brigade, a representative of Zurich building insurance, and as a precautionary measure the ambulance service from the Bülach hospital with an emergency doctor and the ambulance service from the Baden canton hospital, Care Zurich, civil defense and two Representatives of the municipal authority on duty.
Note for the residents of Oberweningen:
In order to maintain the drinking water connection network and to ensure the ongoing extinguishing work in the aftermath of the major fire, the residents of the municipality of Oberweningen are asked to use their drinking water sparingly in the next few hours.