Forest fire in Jerischke: Fire brigade fights against flaming inferno!

Forest fire in Jerischke: Fire brigade fights against flaming inferno!

In the Spree-Neiße district, more precisely near Jerischke, a forest fire has spread over an area of ​​​​around 2,500 square meters. The emergency services have their hands full because the fire site is in a difficult-to-access forest area, which makes both access and water supply considerably more difficult. Loud Niederlausitz Current Around 50 firefighters from Brandenburg and Saxony are on duty to put a stop to the fire.

The fire repeatedly flares up in an area with young coniferous trees, although the cause remains unclear. However, the situation is stable, so targeted follow-up work is being carried out to prevent a flare-up. The fire brigade is also supported by employees of a biomass farm and a glass factory, who provide valuable help in this difficult situation.

Forest fires in Germany and their causes

The increase in forest fires in Germany can be attributed to the dryness and heat that are favored by climate change. Statista reports that over 3,000 hectares of forest were lost to fires in 2022 alone, which was the highest in the last 30 years. In 2023, the affected area in Germany was over 1,200 hectares.

The most common causes are arson and negligence, with around half of forest fires whose cause remains unknown. Particular attention is being paid to the regions of Brandenburg and Lower Saxony, which are particularly badly affected. What is also alarming is that only 27 forest fires in 2023 were caused by natural causes, while most cases were due to human error.

Re-extinguishing work and pioneering spirit

Fighting fires not only requires quick reactions, but also sustained follow-up work, as observed in Nienhagen, for example. Following a forest fire, several local fire departments gathered there to extinguish areas that had flared up again. The mission report describes how extensive clean-up work took place after the fire was put out. Several hundred meters of hose had to be transported out of the dense forest and various equipment had to be cleaned.

Given the current situation in Jerischke, it is of the utmost importance that such post-extinguishing work is carried out efficiently in order to protect the valuable forest resources in the long term and prevent further damage.