Forest fire in Thuringia: fighters in action, relaxation in sight!

Forest fire in Thuringia: fighters in action, relaxation in sight!

In Saxony, a significant forest fire is currently raging in Gohrischheide, and the situation remains tense. Those responsible have decided to let the fire burn in a controlled manner in order to avoid excessive use of resources. Ralf Hänsel, district administrator of the Meißen district, commented on this and explained that the fire brigade wants to take targeted action to keep the flames under control without resorting to material-intensive fighting. Currently, around 665 emergency services from various organizations, including the volunteer fire department and the Bundeswehr, are fighting the fire in five sections, while fire engines and tankers from several districts of Dresden are available to provide support, reports the MDR.

The situation in Thuringia, on the other hand, has eased. Here, the spokesman for the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district office, Peter Lahann, reports that the fires are now under control, even if smaller fires are occasionally flaring up. The weather plays into the fire brigade's hands: drizzle supports the extinguishing work, so that the disaster may be lifted this evening. Around 150 firefighters are currently deployed to fight the largest forest fire in Thuringia in 33 years. The affected fire area amounts to at least 250 hectares, while 463 fires last year only destroyed around 334 hectares of forest area PZ News explained in detail.

Firefighting in Gohrischheide

In Gohrischheide, a former Soviet Army training area and now part of a nature reserve, extinguishing the fire is particularly difficult. Ammunition could still be stored in the ground, which represents a source of danger for the fire department. Therefore, the strategy of containing dangerous areas through controlled burning is of great importance. The Bundeswehr is also supporting the fire-fighting operations with the help of fire-fighting helicopters and has already dropped around a million liters of fire-fighting water, reports MDR.

The two fires in Thuringia and Saxony illustrate the challenges that fire departments and emergency services are currently facing. The area that has been affected so far in Gohrischheide is particularly alarming: around 2,100 hectares, a number that more than exceeds the annual average of forest fire areas in Germany. In order to minimize the destruction of forest areas by fires, the federal administration has collected comprehensive statistics on forest fires since the 1970s, such as Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food notes.

What is also shocking is the fact that the Free Voters in Saxony are criticizing the permanent cuts in the state budget for the fire department. Matthias Binner, deputy state chairman of the Free Voters of Saxony, emphasizes that such savings not only endanger operational readiness, but ultimately also affect the security of the population.

So it will remain exciting for the time being to see how the situation will develop and what measures those responsible will take. Currently, all hope and measures are aimed at fighting the fires efficiently and minimizing possible further risks.