Forest fire in Gohrischheide: Fire brigade in constant use against flames!

Forest fire in Gohrischheide: Fire brigade in constant use against flames!

In the last few days, the situation surrounding the forest fire in the Gohrischheide in the Meißen district, Saxony, has changed significantly. Since July 1st, firefighters have been battling the flames that broke out at a former military training area. The situation is particularly challenging due to the high level of ammunition in the area, which makes extinguishing work considerably more difficult. The explosive weather conditions with strong winds also caused the fire to spread enormously. As of midday on Wednesday, July 2nd, several hundred hectares were already affected, which corresponds roughly to the area of ​​the Berlin district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, as Berlin Live reports.

The Dresden police have initiated an extensive investigation into the cause of the fire. Data is collected and photos are evaluated. Officers are interviewing witnesses and residents to shed light on the matter. Deals with an ultralight aircraft that flew over the fire area are also being examined; There may be a violation of the Aviation Act. There is a no-fly zone in the region, although this is exempt from firefighting helicopters and fire service drones, as MDR reports.

Current developments and evacuations

There have been several evacuations in recent days. But on Tuesday, July 8th, the evacuation of the town of Heidehäuser was lifted at 3 p.m. so that around 80 residents were able to return. This evacuation became necessary after the fire broke out. On that day, another fire near the Zeithain barracks was quickly extinguished. In this context, up to 600 emergency services were deployed in and around the fire area, although unfortunately there were also injuries among the firefighters.

The closures of roads B169, S89 and K8577 continue to impact residents and traffic. The situation has eased somewhat thanks to positive weather conditions such as rainfall and cooler temperatures, but embers could flare up again at any time. There are currently around 300 emergency services on site who are continuously monitoring and controlling the situation.

Support for the emergency services

An important part of the fire-fighting work is the support from the Technical Relief Agency (THW), which supports the emergency services with daily food deliveries of up to 1,000 kilograms. This is done in close cooperation with the German Red Cross in order to care for the firefighters in the challenging situation.

While the fire department and the relevant authorities prepare for the next steps, it remains to be seen how the fire situation will develop. A citizen hotline is available for anyone who has information or needs support: on 03521 725 7251 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.