Weed burner causes fire in Helmstedt – neighbor intervenes!

Weed burner causes fire in Helmstedt – neighbor intervenes!

A small incident caused a stir in Helmstedt. On July 12, 2025, at 3:07 p.m., the fire department was alerted to a burning hedge on Zwickauer Strasse. When the emergency services arrived, it was discovered that a neighbor was trying to keep the fire at bay with a garden hose. Luckily, he managed to prevent anything worse from happening until the professionals arrived. According to regionalheute.de it is suspected that a weed burner was the cause of the fire.

The Helmstedt fire department then carried out extinguishing work and checked the fire site using a thermal imaging camera. This measure is particularly important because there is a high risk of fire in the current drought. In this context, the fire department strongly warns against using gas burners to combat weeds, as they can quickly spread fire.

A similar incident in Sudheim

Less than three months earlier, on April 28, 2023, a similar incident occurred in Sudheim. Here, a resident saw smoke rising from his hedge while he was working in the garden. Despite his efforts to put out the fire with a watering can, it quickly became clear that he needed assistance. Neighbors then alerted the fire department, who also arrived with a medium fire engine and a personnel transport vehicle. Fortunately, a neighbor had already helped with a fire extinguisher, so the fire brigade only had to carry out additional extinguishing work. The entire operation lasted about 30 minutes, and the fire brigade was able to quickly bring the situation under control, as kfv-northeim.de reports.

But what does this mean for security in our cities? Fires like those in Helmstedt and Sudheim are not isolated cases. Statistics from Germany, which feuertrutz.de has compiled, show that there is a lack of uniform fire statistics, which would, however, be essential for improving fire protection. In recent years, the use of weed burners has come under criticism due to drought and heat as they pose potential fire hazards.

While the fire brigade in Helmstedt and Sudheim takes care of both the safety of residents and preventative education, it is advisable to handle flammable equipment carefully. This is the only way to significantly minimize the risk of fires, especially during dry periods. The fire brigade's warnings should not be taken lightly, because there is really something going on!