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Alarming fire danger: Fire brigade fights flames near Fichtenberg!
Forest fire in Elbe-Elster: Several fire departments in action near Fichtenberg. Dry conditions and flying sparks led to danger.
Alarming fire danger: Fire brigade fights flames near Fichtenberg!
Today, June 30, 2025, a fire was reported near Fichtenberg on the Elbe, which quickly put the local fire departments on alert. According to LR-Online the suspected cause of the fire is flying sparks during maintenance work on the Elbe dike. The fire department was already aware of these dangerous conditions - dry grain fields and nearby houses increased the risk of rapid spread.
The fire was reported around 2:20 p.m. and seven fire departments from the southwest of the Elbe-Elster district were quickly on site to prevent anything worse from happening. With a total of 30 emergency services and seven vehicles, the fire was brought under control within 1.5 hours. A water filling station was also set up in Fichtenberg to support the fire engines. The emergency services urged caution when working in dry environments.
Fire risk in the region
The risk of fires is currently particularly high in Brandenburg and especially in the Elbe-Elster district. As the Tagesspiegel reports, a significant forest and field fire has spread in the region, which now covers an area of 850 hectares - which is about four times the size of the Great Tiergarten in Berlin. Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) assumes that deletion could take several weeks.
Strong winds and little rain add to the risk. These adverse circumstances do not make things any easier for the approximately 500 firefighters currently on duty. At night, further complications can arise due to darkness and squalls. Tragically, some evacuations have already had to be carried out from towns such as Rehfeld and Kölsa, with around 300 people affected. The return of the evacuees is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, while the Kölsa settlement remains closed.
Causes and prevention
The risk of forest fires has increased steadily in recent years, which is also confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Over 90 percent of all forest fires are caused by human activity. The protection of forests in Germany is therefore of great importance, especially due to the high population density. The collected forest fire data helps authorities carry out forecasts and risk assessments and take appropriate precautions to prevent fires.
Given the current situation, farmers are also challenged: they often have water trucks ready so that they can intervene quickly in an emergency. This shows that a good hand in firefighting and precautionary measures in dry times are crucial to prevent anything worse from happening.