Great fire in the Harz: Fire brigade fights against flames and onlookers!

Great fire in the Harz: Fire brigade fights against flames and onlookers!

A worrying forest fire in the Harz is currently in suspense. The fire in the Hangwald near the Grane Valley Panel at Goslar has been registered since Sunday evening at 6 p.m. Hundreds of firefighters are in constant fire and fight against the flames that have spread quickly through strong gusts of wind. While the fire brigade can report progress in the containment of the fire, a complete deletion of the fire for the time being, such as NDR reported.

In the first night after the outbreak, the fire area of ​​originally three to up to eight hectares increased. While the temperatures at night are cool, it stays hot in the ground - a difficult starting point for the fire brigade. There were more than 300 emergency services on Monday. This number was reduced on the night, but should increase again during the day. The fire brigade invades reliable measures for fire fighting, including water drops from the air. Two helicopters are in use, whereby a fire aircraft can only take off irregularly due to the difficult wind conditions, such as [TAG24] (https://www.tag24.de/thema/naturkatastrophen/hunderte-kraefte-kaempfen- against-waldbrand-chaulustigen-waße--work

challenges in fire fighting

The combination of a hillside, fall gusts and the poor accessibility of the fire area presents the fire brigade in front of immense challenges. Michael Langlotz, fire brigade spokesman, was optimistic about the status of the extinguishing work on Monday evening, but the dreaded change in the wind direction could quickly tighten the situation. The temperatures and the low humidity also have a positive effect on the extinguishing work, but caution is still required.

The cause of the fire is still unclear. While the risk factor of forest fires in Germany is increasing, the problem has become not only a local but also a global one in recent years. According to Statista, more than 1,200 hectares were destroyed by fires in Germany in 2023. In particular, forest fires show worrying growth in dry and hot periods that are favored by climate change.

onlookers and security concerns

The fact that onlookers hinder the extinguishing work is particularly questionable. Again and again they block paths or follow the fire engines into the forest, which endangers the work of the emergency services. It is urgently warned to enter the affected forest areas, especially in the area of ​​Königsberg, Nordberg and Steinberg. The "Nina" app has published corresponding warning messages. The fire brigade repeats the fact that danger to poisonous flue gases, large heat and the water drops are available from above.

The fire fighting is not only a matter of the fire brigade, but also requires prudent behavior of the population. The fire in the Harz is another example of the increasing challenges that forest fires bring in the context of climate change. At the moment it looks like the extinguishing work continues until at least Wednesday, with a clear goal: to finally extinguish the fire and to ensure the safety of everyone.