Drama in the Harz: Waldbrand near Goslar - fire brigade fights against the flames!

Drama in the Harz: Waldbrand near Goslar - fire brigade fights against the flames!

Goslar, Deutschland - In the past few days, the Harz was the scene of a serious forest fire at Goslar, which has been fought since Sunday evening, June 22nd. Over 300 emergency services are mobilized to extinguish the fire, which extends on an area between two and seven hectares and is difficult by stubborn wind gusts. The wind conditions also often prevent the use of the "Hexe 1" extinguishing aircraft, so that the fire brigade is dependent on helicopters and special fire trucks. The Goslar fire brigade was alerted on Sunday evening shortly after 6 p.m. and was able to get a first overview of the rapid spread of the fire. Also on Monday morning, two larger fire spots and several smaller fire were active, which had to be combated.

The challenges for the emergency services are enormous: a steep slope continues to make the control of the embers nests difficult, while trees at risk of falling block access to some areas. Extensive extinguishing work is now being performed both by the soil and in the air, whereby the special skills of the forest fire special unit of Lower Saxony, which remains in use until Wednesday, is also used. The 14 spontaneous helpers from a flood aid project also offer important support in extinguishing.

measures and security

The city of Goslar has urged the population to avoid affected areas. In addition to the acute danger from extinguishing water drops, smoke and heat, there are also risks from falling branches. The area between the Granetalsperre and Goslar is spacious in order not to hinder the work of the fire brigade. Unfortunately there were some onlookers who disabled the effort by following fire engines in the forest and thus stood in the way of the rescue workers.

The cause of the fire has so far been unclear, but the alarming situation is reinforced by the current climatic conditions. More and more people have to become aware that forest fires in Germany, as in other regions, increase worldwide. In 2023 alone, over 1,200 hectares of forest area were destroyed by fire in Germany. In recent years, a worrying trend has become apparent that reinforces the endangerment of habitats and the associated financial damage. This trend is also reflected in the constant increase in forest fires due to extremely dry and hot periods, which are favored by climate change, as an analysis of Statista shows.

The focus of the emergency services remains aimed at bringing the fire under control before dark. Mayor Urte Schwerdtner praised the tireless use of the fire brigade and numerous helpers, who, despite the adverse circumstances, work with great commitment to hazard. At this point it would be thanks to everyone involved who combat the fire with united forces and take care of the security of the area.

For further information on the progress of the extinguishing work and on the current situation on site, the population remains required to follow the official reports and reports carefully and to adhere to the recommendations of the fire brigade.

For constantly updated information on the location in the Harz, see also the reporting of goslar.de , as well as for general information about forest fires under Statista .