Smoke and helicopters: Major fire brigade exercise started in Hagen!

Smoke and helicopters: Major fire brigade exercise started in Hagen!

In the last few days, a large-scale fire drill in the Hagen area caused a stir and a bit of confusion among residents and nature lovers. Since Thursday, the Sundern fire department, supported by the @Fire organization, has launched an intensive training camp on the subject of disaster control and specifically on fighting vegetation fires. These measures are no coincidence: a forest fire in April 2025 presented the emergency services with major challenges and showed how important good preparation is. Residents and hikers in the areas around Hagen and Wildewiese were advised on Friday (June 20) and Saturday (June 21) that they could see smoke in the air, but it was from these exercises. According to the Sauerlandkurier report, if conditions are right, fire-fighting helicopters will even be used and take to the sky.

But what exactly is happening in the forest? The practical exercises involve rehearsals under various conditions in order to test the procedure when a vegetation fire breaks out. The scenario of these exercises is similar to a previous operation in which around 150 emergency services from various Bielefeld fire departments had to fight a forest fire with an area of ​​​​around 20,000 square meters in Sennestadt. Carelessness on the part of forest visitors in combination with persistent drought posed a high risk. Solutions for fire-fighting water supply were also used by transporting water to remote areas via hose lines and tank fire engines, according to the Bielefeld fire department in its report.

Preparation is everything

The exercises are not only essential for the firefighters, but also ensure that cooperation with other aid organizations and specialist advisors, such as the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Forestry and Wood, runs smoothly. This is supported by special training and seminars that also focus on working with vegetation fires. Here at EURO-WALDBRAND, forest owners and forestry employees are provided with practical tools and strategies to ensure quick action and early detection of fire risks.

Intensive preparation and training are important to improve the fire brigade's operational readiness. Sharing experiences and testing different tactics for combating vegetation fires are among the central goals of these exercises. The emergency services must also be prepared for the special challenges in nature, such as the behavior of fires in densely overgrown forest areas.

A look into the future

The experiences gained during these exercises are incorporated into future operations and help to better avoid the dangers of vegetation fires. Further training dates are also planned in the coming months, which are intended to cover the need for well-trained emergency services to combat such emergencies. Participation in the seminars and exercises is open to anyone interested, but early registration is often required as many courses are quickly booked out, as the information on the EURO-WALDBRAND website shows.

Anyone who would like to find out more about this essential part of disaster protection has the opportunity to contact us directly using the contact information provided and thus actively contribute to security in their region. As you can see, the fire departments in the region are not only on duty, but are also constantly striving to develop further and be better prepared for the diverse challenges that nature presents.

For more details on the EIA exercises, read the full reports in the sources: Sauerland courier, Bielefeld fire department and EURO FOREST FIRE.