Waldbrand near Ponnsdorf: 5000 square meters in flames!

Waldbrand near Ponnsdorf: 5000 square meters in flames!

On July 10, 2025, there was a major fire in a forest near Ponnsdorf, in the Elbe-Elster district. According to lr-online extended to about 5000 square meters, which is an enormous scope for the emergency services.

At 1:18 p.m. the fire brigades were alerted. The dense smoke development was already visible from afar and ensured that other emergency services from the surrounding communities such as Amt Elsterland, Stadt Sonnewalde and Kirchhain were alerted. A total of over 80 firefighters, supported by around 20 vehicles, were deployed. The use of a drone by the Finsterwalde fire brigade was particularly innovative to assess the situation and coordination on site.

efficient tactics

The fire could be quickly brought under control, but intensive post -extinguishing work was necessary to ensure that no embers remained. The water supply was ensured by tank fire vehicles in commuting, which significantly increased the efficiency of the extinguishing work.

The cause of the fire is currently still unclear. The police have started investigations, but there is no evidence of arson. This uncertainty is reminiscent of the increasing forest fires that have affected Germany in recent years.

climate change as a trigger?

The causes of forest fires are diverse and are often related to climate change. For example, Statista that in particular trocke and hot periodes significantly increase the risk. In Germany, too, the situation is alarming: in 2022 over 3,000 hectares of forest area were destroyed by fires, while in 2023 the number of areas affected decreased to over 1,200 hectares. The most common causes of these fires are arson and negligence, so that there is still great caution.

It is therefore essential for the fire brigade to carry out regular exercises in order to be prepared for such operations. An example of this is an alarm exercise for forest fire fighting, which took place on October 29, 2022. Among other things, it was about improving the extinguishing water supply and optimizing operational tactics in order to be better prepared in an emergency. In this exercise, numerous fire brigades from the area were involved and the knowledge from the exercises are constantly taken into account in the operational tactics, as the Schlangenbad In conclusion, it can be said that the fire at Ponnsdorf not only represents a challenge for the fire brigade, but also draws attention to the serious dangers due to climate change. It is important to act preventively here and to further promote cooperation between the various emergency services in order to effectively encounter future fires.