Fire Broke Out in Fraunhofer ISE Laboratory at Solar Info Center, Freiburg

February 24, 2017

At mid-morning today on Friday, February 24, 2017, a fire broke out in one of the laboratories of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE located in the Solar Info Center in Freiburg. The fire alarm was immediately set off and the building was successfully vacated. The firefighters were on location immediately and brought the fire quickly under control. According to the Fire Service, four firefighters were injured. A forensic investigation to determine the cause of the fire is underway. The building is presently closed and entry is not permitted. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE will report more information as it is confirmed.

Last modified: February 24, 2017

Update from March 21, 2017 on the Fire in Fraunhofer ISE Laboratory

Mar. 21, 2017

On March 16, 2017 in the early evening, Solar Info Center was completely evacuated at 5p.m. in order that a specialist company could begin with the removal of containers containing hazardous chemicals in PV-TEC at 6 p.m. The tenants of the Solar Info Center were informed of the planned removal well ahead of schedule.

On March 20, 2017 the Solar Info Center was again evacuated at 5:30 p.m. in order to continue with the removal of the chemical containers. Part of the adjacent street “Hirtenweg” was blocked off by police during the removal work. Between 6:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., chemical containers were removed from PV-TEC by specialists. Representatives of the Environmental Protection Authority of Freiburg were on location. The removal was carried out without any problems.

The fire squad was on location during both removal dates, in case of emergency. The removal work ran smoothly without a problem.

The removal of the chemicals still in PV-TEC will continue over the next few days. All of the work will be carried out in compliance with the appropriate security measures and under the control of the appropriate authorities.

Update from March 6, 2017 on the Fire in Fraunhofer ISE Laboratory

Mar. 6, 2017

On Friday evening, March 3, 2017, a specialist company with the suitable equipment embarked on an investigative walkthrough of the PV-TEC laboratory of Fraunhofer ISE in the Solar Info Center. New findings about the situation at the fire location were secured in this exploratory walk through the lab. Mr. Gruber, fire expert, gb&t Gebäudebestand & Technik GmbH and head of the crisis management team of the present fire scene appeared relieved: "We must always assume the worst case scenario, but the investigative walkthrough of the fire scene has shown that the chemical containers in the Fraunhofer ISE laboratory were stored in a correct and competent manner and were not affected by the fire. Due to the rapid alerting of emergency task forces together with the correctly implemented safety measures, the fire could be prevented from spreading to the chemical containers.“ All of the chemical containers are intact and the fill level is clearly indicated. Thus, it can be ascertained that no chemical spillage to the environment occurred in highly concentrated form. This conclusion fits well to the measurement results of the soot analysis already known. Regarding the building statics, the analyses showed that only one supporting pillar was damaged and must be repaired. As determined by the last investigative walkthrough, it was ascertained that the atmosphere in the lab was free of hazardous chemicals, in particular, acids. Therefore, the total situation can be determined as stable, and it is now possible to quickly proceed with further investigative work.

Update from March 3, 2017 on the Fire in Fraunhofer ISE Laboratory

Mar. 3, 2017

In the meanwhile, all sections of the Solar Info Center, except those directly impacted by the fire and parts of the northeast wing, have been released by the Environmental Protection Authority. After fire experts and a specialist crew inspected the premises, it was ascertained that all of the examined soot samples were non-toxic. Martin Gruber, fire expert, gb&t Gebäudebestand & Technik GmbH, gave an all-clear signal after the toxicological investigations: “The measurements were carried out by IFU GmbH, an accredited independent testing company. The measured levels of contaminants lay below the legal allowable limits. The findings are available for viewing upon request at the building management office of the Solar Info Center.” No direct danger for persons exists. As a result, the building management administration offices arranged that the offices impacted by soot now be cleaned. Adjacent rooms were also similarly cleaned by a specialist company.

Today on Friday morning, the cars and bikes in the underground garage could be picked up. Similarly, no harmful precipitates were found in the garage. Nevertheless, the cars and bikes were still cleaned. The building management of the Solar Info Center had informed its tenants.

The next steps are to test for any structural damage of the building at the immediate fire scene as well as to remove the chemical containers from the fire scene. Since the building must be evacuated during these procedures for safety reasons, they will take place in the evening and on the weekend when possible.

Update from Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017 on the Fire in Fraunhofer ISE Laboratory

Feb. 28, 2017 - 6:51 p.m.

After fire experts and a specialist crew carefully inspected the offices in the Solar Info Center, it was established today that no contaminated dust or soot from the fire was found in the rooms of the west and northwest wings of the Solar Info Center. Also the electricity and water supply could be restored in parts of the building today. Based on these findings, the Environmental Protection Authority of Freiburg released the west and northwest wings of the Solar Info Center as of March 1, 2017. The tenants were informed of the status by the building management of the Solar Info Center. Also the laboratories of Fraunhofer ISE that are located in the west and northwest wings can soon resume operation.

The northeast and east wings of the Solar Info Center have not yet been released. Today, however, it was partially possible to enter the rooms, accompanied by specialists, in order to retrieve personal objects that had been left there. At present, all attempts are being made to release offices in these wings as quickly as possible. Presently investigations are being carried out to determine if there has been any structural damage in these wings. In parallel, a specialist company has been contracted to remove any chemicals located at the site of the fire itself.

Soon it will be possible to enter the underground parking garage of the Solar Info Center in order to remove the vehicles. The vehicles that were parked there were not damaged.

Update on the Fire in Fraunhofer ISE Laboratory on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017

Feb. 26, 2017 - 9:56 p.m.

The fire occurred in Fraunhofer ISE’s Photovoltaic Technology Evaluations Center PV-TEC, which is located in the Solar Info Center, Emmy-Noether-Strasse since its establishment in 2006. The forensic analysis on the cause of the fire has not been completed. Investigations are still underway. The fire location is presently closed off by the police.

PV-TEC is a key laboratory for technology transfer in photovoltaic research at Fraunhofer ISE. In PV-TEC silicon solar cells can be produced in pilot processing lines on an industrial level. Chemicals that are necessary for the production of solar cells are used in the laboratory. Singular containers containing chemicals were affected by the fire. This is one of the reasons why the Solar Info Center is presently closed and presently under police protection. Even if a large part of the Solar Info Center may still be visibly undamaged, entry to the building will be first allowed when fire experts and specialists have ascertained that containers containing chemicals that potentially pose a danger have been removed from the building. Special companies have been commissioned to remove hazardous substances from the fire scene. The tenants will be allowed back into the building as soon as possible. The safety of all persons is the first priority.

Fraunhofer ISE graciously would like to thank all of the firefighters, police officers and emergency services present at the fire scene for the excellent job they did. We deeply regret that some firefighters were injured while extinguishing the fire and wish them a good and speedy recovery.

Further information on the laboratory fire in German:

/de/laborbrand-pv-tec.html

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