Apolda (dpa/th) – An unknown person set pallets on fire on a brownfield site near a refugee accommodation in Apolda. A security guard at the property noticed smoke on Monday and alerted emergency services, a police spokesman said on Tuesday. During the extinguishing work, the fire brigade came across a hissing gas bottle about 30 meters from the source of the fire. According to the police spokesman, it is unclear whether the badly damaged gas bottle had a leak or whether it had been deliberately opened.
During the extinguishing work, a firefighter was injured, he suffered a hip contusion. An immediately initiated search for the unknown arsonist was initially unsuccessful. The criminal police are investigating. As the police spokesman said, it is considered impossible that the stranger could have brought the pallets or the gas bottle to the site. There is currently no indication that it could have been a targeted attack. Unauthorized persons have repeatedly entered the premises in the past.
