Kaltennordheim (dpa/th) - Improper handling of an oil stove is said to have caused the fire in a semi-detached house on December 21 in Kaltennordheim (Schmalkalden-Meinigen). Fire investigators came to this conclusion, the police in Suhl announced on Friday. Together with an expert, they inspected the scene of the fire on Thursday.
The fire in the residential building in the Oberkatz district broke out in the early hours of the morning. Initially, only one room was said to be on fire. A little later, the fire is said to have caught the entire house. It burned down completely. The four residents were taken to a hospital. The house next door was evacuated when smoke rose from the roof there too. The fire damage is now estimated at around 200,000 euros.
