The mayor of Lauterbach, Holger Marx, is pushing for a rapid rebuilding of old town buildings destroyed in a devastating fire, after hosting the first roundtable meeting with all parties involved on Monday afternoon.
The fire in Lauterbach, in the Vogelsberg district, has been extinguished, and the damaged and partly destroyed half-timbered buildings in the old town have been shored up to prevent collapse. Marx, who took office only weeks ago after his election, invited homeowners, insurers, business owners and officials from the city and county to the town hall for the meeting.
Mayor's expectations for owners and insurers
Marx told hessenschau he hoped the houses would be rebuilt and the townscape restored as quickly as possible, saying the city wants to avoid fire ruins standing for years requiring ongoing safety measures. He said everyone shared the damage situation together, but that it was now mainly up to homeowners and insurers to make the five damaged and partly destroyed houses usable and habitable again. He said the city had connected all parties at the meeting so no one would have to pursue the goal alone.
Marx said the exchange was important and that the meeting went positively, though he said further talks were needed. The parties are due to meet again in the middle of next week.
Damage estimated at five million euros
Police estimated the material damage at around five million euros. Police said Monday that arson had been ruled out as a cause following investigations by criminal police officers and experts from the Hessian State Criminal Police Office. Investigators still need to determine whether negligence or a technical defect caused the fire. A spokesperson told hessenschau that results could still take time, since the fire site is large and the investigation has been made difficult by days of operations by the fire department, rescue services and the Technical Relief Agency.
Lauterbach's building authority director, Jörg Saller, said the building at the center of the fire site suffered the worst destruction. A restaurant occupies the ground floor of that building, where the large fire is believed to have started, though Saller said it was also possible the fire began on the upper floors. He said the historic facade had at least been saved. Saller said all five affected buildings, some dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, are listed as protected monuments.
Residents allowed back briefly
People who fled the buildings on Wednesday evening have since been allowed to briefly re-enter their apartments, accompanied, to assess the damage and retrieve personal belongings. That was not possible for seven residents whose apartments were completely destroyed, including a family with two young twin children and three individuals, who are staying at the youth hostel in Lauterbach. Marx said the city is helping them search for new housing.
Donations and a helper festival
Marx described a remarkable willingness to help in Lauterbach, with residents supporting emergency crews with food and drink and neighbors helping each other. He said around 50,000 euros have been collected in a donation account, and that business owners have set up donation boxes in their shops, with collections already held at sporting events and more clubs planning fundraising efforts.
The city plans a helper festival for around 450 people on August 21 to thank everyone involved, Marx said. He said it was important for normal life to resume, so the weekly market will take place as usual on Thursday at the marketplace in front of the town hall, within sight of the fire site.
