Danger of forest fires increases: Fire brigade fights flames in Blankenheim!

Danger of forest fires increases: Fire brigade fights flames in Blankenheim!

On Tuesday night, the fire brigade was on a large scale in Haubachtal, around one kilometer north of Blankenheimerdorf. At around 10:30 p.m., a shed containing a straw bed was set on fire, which called the fire department into action. The situation was initially difficult because the local water supply was inadequate. Operations manager Volker Mies had to alert additional units in order to get the fire under control. A total of around 65 firefighters were on duty, including fire engine 1 from the Blankenheim fire department and forces from Waldorf and Ripsdorf.

Thanks to the quick intervention, a good water supply was ensured after around 30 minutes. In total, the emergency services had an impressive 35,000 liters of water at their disposal, thanks in part to water barrels from two farmers. After the fire brigade allowed the straw bales to burn down in a controlled manner, the last embers were finally extinguished at 2 a.m. Unfortunately, the eight bales of straw and the shed burned down completely, resulting in five-figure damage.

Increased risk of forest fires

The cause of the fire is currently unclear and the police have not yet released any further information. However, witnesses reported children staying near the shed. The high risk of forest fires in the Euskirchen district is particularly worrying. The forest fire danger index shows level 4 (high danger) in Lommersum and level 3 (medium danger) in Kall-Sistig. Recently, 50 firefighters extinguished a forest fire near Schmidt, which was probably started by a camp fire.

In general, the Eifel National Park appeals to the population to exercise particular caution. Open fires and smoking are strictly prohibited in the national park. Other forests have a smoking ban enforced from March 1 to October 31. Anyone who does not adhere to these regulations must expect fines of up to 50,000 euros, as the national park regulations show.

Commitment of the fire department

The fire brigade in the Euskirchen district is well prepared for possible forest and vegetation fires. It continually invests in new equipment and training. For example, a new tanker truck was purchased and a special forest firefighting unit is deployed in Schleiden. A roll-off container with special fire-fighting backpacks and hoses will also find its place there in the future. In addition, further training for fire brigade managers and seminars on fighting forest fires were carried out in order to be able to respond even more effectively to operations.

For further information on the role of the fire department, those interested can take a look at the Voluntary Fire Department of the Municipality of Blankenheim. The current forest fire danger levels can also be viewed on the [German Weather Service] website (https://www.dwd.de/DE/dienste/waldbrandgef/waldbrandgef.html).