After fire damage: Reconstruction of the Stadtwerke sorting hall begins
31.10.2025 – Reconstruction of the sorting hall at Stadtwerke Offenbach's Stadtservice depot has begun. A fire broke out there on a Saturday in September last year. Despite the rapid intervention of the fire department, considerable damage was caused to the hall filled with waste. No one was injured. The main cause of the damage to the building was the enormous heat. To minimize the risk of such damage in future, Stadtservice is relying on artificial intelligence.
Waste is stored in the hall until it is transported onwards. Since the fire, Stadtservice had been able to use an alternative area that had been agreed and approved with the regional council. Reconstruction had been delayed because it was necessary to wait for the final report from the commissioned structural engineer. The heat had caused some of the beams to twist, meaning that their load-bearing capacity and therefore the stability of the hall could not be guaranteed. These beams have now been removed using a crane and are being replaced. The next step will be to re-roof the hall, then install new windows and replace the electrics.
AI-controlled fire detection and extinguishing system is installed
The baler, which had been enclosed in the meantime, is now also being repaired. The extinguishing water had damaged cables here, which are now being replaced. The huge machine is used to press waste paper into large, transportable bales. An AI-controlled fire detection and extinguishing system is also being installed in the hall. The system will monitor the hall around the clock with two thermal imaging cameras. If it detects changes in temperature, it triggers an alarm and activates an extinguishing water cannon. 2,500 liters of water and foam mixture are then hurled in the direction of the heat source every minute. The extinguishing system works autonomously until the fire department arrives. They can then extinguish the fire via an external control station without anyone having to enter the danger zone.
City treasurer and responsible department head Martin Wilhelm is delighted that reconstruction is now underway. "The hall is urgently needed. Experts and the Stadtservice team are working hand in hand to achieve the best possible result. I would like to thank everyone involved who prevented the worst from happening and are now working on the reconstruction in a solution-oriented manner."
Stadtservice expects to be able to use the hall again in mid-2026.