On 9 January 1971, a great fire destroyed part of a caravan factory, a branch plant of Wilk-Caravaning GmbH, on Kellenbach's northern outskirts. The blaze was started by flying sparks in the fitter's shop, which set some nitrocellulose lacquers alight. An employee who lived on the factory lands noticed the fire in good time and notified the fire brigade. Because it was Saturday, the Kellenbach Volunteer Fire Brigade began very quickly with the job of quenching the fire, even before the Kirn, Gemünden and Pferdsfeld fire brigades could reach the fire. The blaze was thus prevented from reaching other parts of the building, which might have led to the factory's utter destruction. After the fire, the damage was reckoned to be more than 100,000 DM.