Huge forest fire near Dessau: Fire brigade fights against flames!

Huge forest fire near Dessau: Fire brigade fights against flames!

On Saturday afternoon, July 5, 2025, a significant forest fire broke out in the Mosigkauer Heide north of Dessau-Roßlau, causing great excitement in the region. Loud mz.de In the afternoon, large clouds of smoke could be seen from downtown Dessau, which made the situation dramatic. At 7:49 p.m., the city of Dessau-Roßlau issued a warning via the Nina disaster warning app and located the fire between Jütrichau and Rodleben.

The consequences of the fire were immediately noticeable: the B184 was closed to traffic for safety reasons, and rail traffic on the Dessau – Magdeburg route had to be stopped. Residents were given urgent advice to keep windows and doors closed and to avoid the affected forest area to avoid health risks. A helicopter was used to support fire-fighting efforts in the affected area.

Major fire department operation

Over 150 firefighters were involved in the operation, with the flames having already spread to a former nursing home and old stables. Of particular concern was the need to evacuate a nearby kennel and protect the so-called “Spitzberg”. The Dessau professional fire department took over the operation at around 7 p.m., which indicated that the extinguishing work had intensified.

At around 9:15 p.m., the city of Zerbst finally reported that the fire had been brought under control and the B184 had been reopened. Although the extinguishing work was still ongoing at this point, much of the danger had already been averted.

Forest fire week in Dessau

This incident is not the only forest fire to occur in the region recently. On the previous Monday evening, a forest area of ​​around 600 square meters burned between Dessau-Roßlau and Streetz, although the cause remained unclear here too. MDR reported that several fires were reported this week, affecting a total area of ​​around 8,000 square meters. The current forest fire warning level of 3 out of 5 for Dessau-Roßlau shows that the risk of forest fires should not be underestimated.

Forest protection in Germany

The importance of the forest is undisputed in Germany. These valuable areas fulfill useful, protective and recreational functions, and the protection and preservation of forests is becoming increasingly important in densely populated countries like Germany. The Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE) highlights that by analyzing forest fire data, targeted forecasts and risk analyzes can be created in order to significantly reduce the number and area size of forest fires in the future.

While the return to normality continues after the difficult operations, the importance of forest protection and high vigilance among the population remain essential to avoid future disasters. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the forest in the region will soon calm down again.