Air support against forest fires: Fire brigade practices in Neumünster!

Air support against forest fires: Fire brigade practices in Neumünster!

In wind and gray skies, 13 volunteers from the Segeberg, Stormarn and Duchy of Lauenburg fire brigade associations train their skills in fire service flight at Neumünster airfield. This reports NDR. The exercises include, among other things, navigation and the coordination of emergency services on the ground. The pilots learn how important local knowledge is for a successful operation. There have been no missions so far this year, but the fire service is well prepared for the challenges in Schleswig-Holstein, especially in confusing situations.

The fire service uses a Robin DR 400 - a four-seater propeller plane that is used, for example, in major fires, floods or accidents. It is noteworthy that despite the dry spring and wet summer in Schleswig-Holstein, only a few forest fires were reported this year. The last major challenge was a grain field fire in 2022, and there were 3,058 forest fires across Germany, but Schleswig-Holstein was spared.

Forest fire prevention in focus

In view of the current risk of forest fires, Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack visited the fire service on September 2nd. Her aim was to find out more about locating and preventing forest fires. She emphasized the role of air monitoring in fighting forest fires in the region KFV Segeberg. Sütterlin-Waack experienced the challenges and importance of the fire service from the air while learning more about operational tactics and the alarm chain.

The minister even received a practical insight through a flight, and not only did this give her an understanding of the processes, she also promised to support the fire service in forest fire prevention and fighting. This commitment is an important step towards improving safety and prevention in Schleswig-Holstein.

Forest fire protection project THOR

In parallel to these measures, the THOR forest fire protection project has been carried out since 2020 to improve preventative forest fire protection in Germany. This project, which runs until 2025, was created due to the increased risk of forest fires in certain regions. In various sub-projects, such as reducing the fire load and creating fire-fighting water reservoirs, work is being done to better protect the forests and avoid potential sources of fire Fire department magazine.

In order to inform the population about the dangers, those responsible for the fire department give helpful tips on how to avoid forest fires: For example, you should avoid smoking in the forest and only light campfires in designated areas. Avoiding burning objects in the forest and parking wildlife are also important tips to reduce the risk of fire.

With these measures and this attention, every effort is made to ensure the safety of citizens and the health of forests. If you witness current fires in Wangels or Elmshorn, the authorities need your help.