A drive apparatus (1) for a fire damper (2) having an electric drive (10), which holds the fire damper in a normal position when power is supplied and moves it into a safety position when no power is supplied. A thermal contact breaker (12) interrupts the power supply to the drive (10) at a melt temperature. The drive apparatus (1) also has a temperature sensor (13) for measuring the air temperature (T), a gas sensor (14) for measuring the content (G) of fumes in the air, and a switch module (15), which interrupts the power supply depending on the values of T and G. In the event of a fire, the fire damper can thus be moved into a safety position not only when the temperature in the region of the thermal contact breaker (12) is high, but already when smoke or gas develops as a result of the fire.