The fire at a refugee accommodation in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in mid-October caused horror across the country. At the time, investigators could not rule out that the fire was set for political reasons. The case is now clear: a suspect has been arrested.
Four weeks after the devastating fire in a refugee accommodation in Groß Strömkendorf near Wismar, which was occupied by Ukrainians, a volunteer firefighter from the region was arrested as a suspect. This was announced by the public prosecutor's office in Schwerin. The investigators rule out a political background to the arson. The fireman denies these and other acts. Nevertheless, an arrest warrant was issued. According to investigators, the 32-year-old suspect is said to be responsible for other fires in the area.
After the devastating fire on October 19, the police assumed arson early on. The investigators had not ruled out a political background at the time because a few days earlier a swastika graffiti had been found on the entrance sign of the accommodation. In the weeks before, there had also been an unexplained series of fires in the region, to which straw rents, forest areas and, on October 10, an empty, thatched house in Blowatz had fallen victim.
Groß Strömkendorf belongs to the municipality of Blowatz. The fire in the community had largely destroyed the former hotel in which the refugee accommodation was located. The 14 residents and three carers were able to escape unharmed from the thatched building.
