Waldbrand near Erlangen: Fire not extinguished even after weeks!

Waldbrand near Erlangen: Fire not extinguished even after weeks!

in the Tennloher Forst near Erlangen, the remains of a devastating forest fire, which was probably caused by arson, continues to glow. The fire that broke out at the end of April has already affected an area of ​​around 40,000 square meters. Sebastian Weber from the Erlangen-Höchstadt district fire inspection reports that the fire brigade cannot yet move away, as embers continue to exist. The complete deletion could take several days because the extinguishing work is significantly more difficult by ammunition residues in the ground.

A total of over 200 police, fire brigade, THW and emergency services are on site to control the situation. Helicopters, tankers and even extinguishing robots are used to combat the fire, while the number of active forces could be reduced to around 22 after the first intensive operations. The disaster was proclaimed by District Administrator Alexander Trethart to mobilize additional resources.

Investigations and dangers for residents

The police have founded an investigative commission to examine the suspicion of intentional arson. The district office emphasizes that the area between the border path and the wild horse area may not be entered because there are acute dangers from smoke, embers and falling trees. Local residents were also asked to keep windows and doors closed to protect themselves from odor nuisance.

The population is urgently asked to observe the rules of conduct and avoid the area of ​​application far. Sebastian Weber said that despite a decline in the embers, there is still an acute risk to the residents. Most recently, over 90 firefighters had worked in the great willingness to operate to combat the fire, with some of them suffered minor injuries.

climatic conditions and forecasts

These current incidents are in the context of an increasing risk of forest fire in Germany. In 2023 there were 1,059 forest fires, which represents a decline of about half compared to 2022. Nevertheless, the affected area of ​​1,240 hectares is above the long -term average. Analyzes of the Environmental Federal Office show that human action, especially arson and negligence, are responsible for around 40 % of forest fires.

The increasing temperatures and falling rainfall in the coming decades increase the risk of forest fires, which also underlines the need for preventive measures, such as the conversion of needle tree monocultures into mixed forests. Research predicts that forest fires often occur between May and July, which requires a responsible view and handling of forest areas.