Forest fire in the Harz: 300 firefighters fight the flames!

Forest fire in the Harz: 300 firefighters fight the flames!

Since Sunday evening, up to 300 emergency services have been fighting a huge forest fire in the Harz Mountains, specifically above the Grane Dam. The Goslar fire department was alerted shortly after 6 p.m. when the situation was already serious. The fire spread over an area of ​​up to seven hectares and was fueled by high temperatures, strong gusts of wind and the exposed location of the region. The emergency services are on site with firefighting planes, helicopters and special vehicles to deal with the dangerous situation.

The situation on site remains extremely tense. The fire is not yet under control. As [ndr.de](https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/braunschweig_harz_goettingen/waldbrand-im-harz-wind-er Schwert-die-loescharbeiter,waldbrand-226.html) reports, there are both two larger fire areas and several smaller fires that need to be fought. The wind conditions in particular pose an enormous problem for the fire-fighting work, so that the “Hexe 1” fire-fighting aircraft could not be used as planned.

Challenges in action

Crews are using a variety of methods to fight the fire. D-pipes are deployed from the ground, releasing between 25 and 50 liters of water per minute, while hand crews identify and extinguish embers. Helicopters are also being used to bring in water. The operation had already been significantly intensified on Monday morning, with over 300 firefighters, supported by 14 spontaneous helpers from a flood relief project, on site, as the city of Goslar announced on its website.

A depot has been set up to refuel the helicopters, but the foot troops also face challenges. Some areas are inaccessible due to trees at risk of falling. The city fire chief Christian Hellmeier and the other managers are trying to contain the fire and have given high priority to the emergency services' own protection. Dangerous measures are only taken after strict consideration. Applause also goes to Mayor Urte Schwerdtner, who thanked everyone involved for their tireless efforts.

Residents and onlookers must stay outside

The city administration appeals to the population to avoid the affected areas. There is an acute danger from extinguishing water, smoke, heat, wind and falling branches. The area between Granetalsperre and Goslar has been largely closed, and onlookers pose an additional problem as they hinder the fire brigade and sometimes follow their vehicles into the forest. This circumstance endangers both your own safety and that of the emergency services, which is why entry into the forest area was canceled. Warning messages were sent via the “Nina” warning app.

There is currently no danger to neighboring residential areas, which is why evacuations are not yet necessary. The fire department will continue to do everything it can to tame the flames and make the closed areas accessible again as quickly as possible. Lower Saxony's special forest fire unit is expected to remain in action until Wednesday to deal with the challenge. A good reason to remain optimistic.