Meter-high fire in the morning sky, the smoke is visible from afar: In the western attraction “Pullman City” in Eging am See in Bavaria, several buildings have gone up in flames. According to current police information, two people were slightly injured.
A good 200, including around 180 overnight guests, were able to escape to safety. According to initial estimates, the damage was worth millions. The cause of the fire is still unclear, the Passau criminal police are investigating.
“The fire was discovered by employees around 6 a.m.,” said a police spokeswoman. “They tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher. But that didn’t work.” The overnight guests were then brought to safety.
Firefighters battled the flames for hours on so-called Main Street, where there are several wooden buildings such as a steakhouse, a saloon and the music hall. In daylight, only the skeletons of the houses remained standing in some places, with thick smoke billowing from the rubble.
“I could cry for an hour now, completely. But that doesn’t help. We have to look forward now, said the amusement park’s managing director, Claus Six, to the German Press Agency. The employees who noticed the fire reacted with presence of mind and brought the guests to safety.
Firefighters extinguish the buildings that have caught fire
According to the police spokeswoman, a park employee was slightly injured in the shoulder while trying to extinguish the fire, and a firefighter was injured in the leg. The fire was under control around midday. At the time of the outbreak, which was still in the dark, there were around 180 overnight guests and 20 employees on the area.
The park for cowboy fans is located in the Bavarian Forest. On Sunday it was supposed to open for a family day with free admission – with Wild West, magic and light shows. Depending on the weather, there are pony rides there. Children can visit a small animal enclosure and meet the Ice Princess, Snow White and Co. in the western town. According to the managing director, up to 500 permanent and freelance employees work in the park.
Every year hundreds of thousands of visitors are drawn to the area between Deggendorf and Passau. “Pullman City” opened in the spring of 1997, and Six has been managing director since the park went bankrupt in 2011. There is a similar park with the same name in the Harz Mountains, but the businesses are separate, Six said. But they are on friendly terms.
