Smoke over the chunk: forest fire in the Harz is not yet under control

Von Kl Redaktion

Wernigerode (dpa) - an important forest fire on the chunk in the Harz ensures alarming news from the region. In northern Germany, more precisely at the highest summit, the fire spreads further from the soil and from the air despite intensive extinguishing measures. As a spokesman in the district announced, the flame front extends over a length of 1000 meters. Around 150 firefighters are in action, supported by a helicopter and an airplane. In the coming hours, additional reinforcements will be expected to counter the impending catastrophe.

The situation remains tense because there is no view of an early end of the extinguishing work. These could take several days. Dense clouds of smoke are visible from afar and alarming residents and visitors alike. In order to effectively combat the fire, large amounts of water are drained from the air. It is currently still unclear how the fire occurred. Meteorologists only expect rainfall around Monday, which may be able to contribute to relaxing the situation.

evacuations and security measures

Already on Friday around 500 people, including hikers and athletes, had to be brought to safety from Brocken. This happened by bus because the chunk is a popular destination for hikers. The national park is currently closed to the public and all events in the area have been canceled. The authorities have asked the population to keep roads and access routes free to make it easier for the emergency services.

operations manager Jerry Grunau commented on the situation and found that the situation was much more difficult compared to a similar fire two years ago, in which the chunk was also affected. In order to facilitate water transport, additional protective strips are created on the ground and paths are created. During the night, some firefighters had to switch to safe positions due to the flame formation.

The Harz narrow -gauge railways have blocked the route between three Annen Hohne and the Brocken due to the fire. A common rod of the city of Wernigerode and the district was set up to control the situation more efficiently.

other foci in Saxony-Anhalt

The chunk is not the only place where dangerous fires occur. In Oranienbaum, too, a forest fire has reached an area of ​​51 hectares. Thanks to the commitment of the emergency services, spreading during the night could be prevented, but embers in the undergrowth remain a risk. This fire occurred near a residential area and has broken out not far from a ammunition -contaminated area.

A total of two helicopters and 260 firefighters are now in use in the Oranienbaum area. The local politicians, including the Interior Minister, the District Administrator and the Mayor, plan to get their own picture of the situation. Despite the danger, the city of Oranienbaum itself is currently not threatened.

In addition, there was also a fire at the Bundeswehr troop training area Altmark. This was created during an exercise and quickly spread to 144 hectares due to strong winds. The extinguishing work has now been successfully completed, so that the company was resumed the following day.