Four Bulgarians died in a fire in Solingen on Monday. The fire was probably started intentionally. Investigators do not suspect a political motive.

Firefighters desperately battled the flames Monday night into Tuesday. Photo: Gianni Gattus/dpa

SOLINGEN dpa | An entire family with young children died earlier this week in a devastating apartment building fire; It has now been shown that it should be assumed that he has a criminal record. Prosecutor Heribert Kaune-Gebhardt reported on Wednesday in Wuppertal that “remnants of accelerator were clearly detected” on the wooden staircase. “Therefore, based on this conclusion, it can be assumed that the fire was intentionally set.” An investigation for murder or attempted murder is currently underway.

On the night from Monday to Tuesday, the drama also deeply affected the firefighters who were desperately fighting the flames: they could no longer save the young family from the attic. Although formal identification is still pending, it can be assumed that the dead were a family from Bulgaria, the prosecutor said. Particularly shocking: the parents, aged 28 and 29, died along with their three-year-old son and a baby who was only five months old.

The baby's body was found hours after those of the other family members in the badly burned attic. Finally, a sniffer dog was also used in the search. “There can hardly be any consolation for them,” the head of the public order department of the city of Solingen said in a message of condolence to the bereaved.

From the position of the deceased found, it can be concluded that the family did not die in their sleep, but rather tried to escape, Kaune-Gebhardt described the findings. “However, none of the residents were able to escape down the stairs.”

Memories of the 1993 attack

Death occurred quickly: the fire expert determined that the fire started in the staircase. “Due to the wood construction and the chimney effect it creates, the fire likely consumed up to the roof within a few minutes to five minutes.”

The morning after the fatal fire, neighbors told reporters about cries for help and residents who, fearing death, jumped into the street from the burning century-old building after the fire broke out around 2:46 p.m. early morning. Several people were seriously injured. When firefighters arrived, the wooden staircase was already on fire.

“There is currently no suspicion of a crime against a specific person,” the prosecutor said. “There are no indications that point to a xenophobic motive.” It is currently not possible to provide further details on the circumstances of the crime for tactical reasons.

The catastrophic fire awakened bad memories in many Solingen residents: In May 1993, five women and girls of Turkish origin were murdered in a nighttime arson attack with far-right background. Fire accelerant was also used. The Solingen attack marked the nadir of a wave of racist attacks against people of foreign origin in Germany.

The researchers are now based on observations of the population and have activated an information line (0202 284 1122) and the corresponding online portal. In addition to the murdered family, many other neighbors are victims. “The tenants of the third floor also suffered very serious injuries from the fire and from jumping into the street,” said the prosecutor responsible for capital crimes. “They are still in intensive care.”

According to a statement from the city of Solingen, three people are seriously injured. According to the prosecutor, five other people on the first and second floors suffered “lesser injuries.”