Forest fire in Gohrischheide: Evacuations and acute danger!

Forest fire in Gohrischheide: Evacuations and acute danger!

With hot temperatures and strong winds, a large number of emergency services have been fighting a devastating forest fire in Gohrischheide, a former Soviet Army training area on the border between Saxony and Brandenburg, for six days now. Loud Mercury The current challenges are enormous, as the fire has not only affected large areas, but is also dangerously threatening to spread further due to the weather conditions.

Evacuations remain in effect in the affected areas, including the towns of Jacobsthal Bahnhof and Heidehäuser. Around 700 firefighters and other emergency services were mobilized on Saturday, including specialists from Saxony-Anhalt, who are expected to fight vegetation fires. These emergency services are not only on site to fight flames, but also to protect lives and build protective strips with bulldozers, such as MDR reported.

Current status of extinguishing measures

The situation remains tense. 45 residents from Jacobsthal Bahnhof had to evacuate their houses, while around 100 people from Heidehäuser had to flee. Firefighters are still on duty with heavy equipment and firefighting helicopters, and two water cannons are also available. The Bundeswehr is supporting the firefighting work with a recovery vehicle that is being used in the forest to expand fire breaks.

The extent of the fire varies in the reports: While the district office states an affected area of ​​200 hectares, other firefighters speak of up to 1,000 hectares, and Sachsenforst even speaks of around 1,300 hectares. These different indications reflect the complexity and dynamic nature of the situation, which is also described as “critical”, especially with the weather-related challenges such as temperatures up to 30 degrees Celsius and unpredictable winds.

Preparations for the future

In the meantime, the issue of fighting forest fires is becoming increasingly important, as the Beselich fire department emphasizes. Regular training courses take place there to better train emergency services for the challenges of vegetation and forest fires. The inclusion of such training is crucial in order to be able to react quickly and effectively in an emergency, especially in view of the increased risk of forest fires in Saxony, where the highest danger level (level 5) has been reached.

The forecast points to rain for Monday and Tuesday, which could potentially ease the situation. This is expected with hope by the authorities and emergency services in order to counteract the current fire danger.

Developments will continue to be closely monitored as care for evacuees and measures to contain the fire remain a priority.