Flammeninferno in the Börde district: police investigated for arson

Flammeninferno in the Börde district: police investigated for arson

On Sunday afternoon, a larger surface fire near Samswegs was reported in the Börde district. An attentive witness had alerted the fire brigade after an entire field was on fire. The strong gust of wind was a considerable danger because it threatened to make the fire spread to an adjacent forest. In order to prevent worse things, the responsible farmer plowed an adjacent field as a so -called fire lane on site. In this way the fire could finally be contained.

In total, around 30 hectares of arable land and 2 hectares of forest burned. Around 90 firefighters from the region were on duty to fight the flames. The fire could be deleted in the late afternoon, unfortunately the amount of damage is currently unclear. However, the fire brigade assumes negligent arson, which is why investigations were taken.

foci in Zielitz

But that was not the only effort that demanded fire brigades that day. In the early Sunday morning and later in the afternoon there were two independent foci near Zielitz. These were only a few meters apart, and the largest area was around 80 square meters. Due to the previous fire operations in the region, intentional arson is also assumed here. The police have initiated investigations and asks witnesses who have information about the herds of fire to report to the Haldensleben police on Tel.: 03904/478-0.

climate change and vegetation fires

With regard to the increasing number of vegetation fires, it can be seen that they have increased in recent years. Climate change and the associated extreme weather events, such as heat waves, present the fire brigades and aid organizations in Germany with great challenges. In 2023, the burned forest area was over 40 percent higher than the average since 1991, as an overview shows. In addition, the number of forest fires has often exceeded the limit of 1,000 fires.

This increase not only increases the risk of accidents, but also the risk of heat and fire smoke for the emergency services. Therefore, correct prevention measures and the wearing of personal protective equipment (PSA) are crucial to minimize exposure to poisonous substances. Breathing poisons such as carbon monoxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fleeting organic compounds arise in vegetation fires and are a serious risk for fire service members.

claims to fire protection

The beams of fire protection, cities and municipalities, are obliged to carry out a risk assessment before the procurement of PSA. The protective measures must be adapted to the respective type of vegetation fire. Fire protection clothing must also be adjusted due to the weather in order to avoid overheating and hypothermia. Lighter PSA is often recommended and measures should also be taken to reduce UV radiation.

A comprehensive documentation and careful selection of the fire protection clothing are necessary. In this context, the DGUV Information 205-014 offers support. The responsibility of the managers also includes the duty of care, timely detachments and the guarantee of reasonable breaks for the emergency services. The physical stress will also be examined more precisely in the future to optimize prevention concepts and to protect the well -being of the firefighters.

Due to the current fire events in the region, it is more important than ever to deal with these topics and to ensure safety in fire protection. It is crucial for the firefighters to be well prepared and protected in order to be able to intervene efficiently in an emergency.

Further information on the challenges of the vegetation fire fighting and for personal protective equipment can be found at HTTPS://WWW.HFUKNORD.de/hfuk/aktuelles/mertungen/2020/beka-von-vegetationbraenden.php) and [DGUV.