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Major fire in the Harz: Fire brigade fights against flames and onlookers!
In the Harz, the fire brigade is fighting a forest fire near Goslar. Hundreds of emergency services were deployed, the cause of the fire was unclear.
Major fire in the Harz: Fire brigade fights against flames and onlookers!
A worrying forest fire in the Harz Mountains is currently keeping emergency services on tenterhooks. The fire in the hillside forest near the Grane Dam near Goslar has been reported since Sunday evening at 6 p.m. Hundreds of firefighters are on constant fire and are fighting the flames, which have spread quickly due to strong gusts of wind. While the fire brigade can report progress in containing the fire, the fire has not yet been completely extinguished, as NDR reports.
On the first night after the outbreak, the fire area increased from the original three hectares to now up to eight hectares. While the temperatures are cool at night, the ground remains hot - a difficult situation for the fire department. More than 300 emergency services were on site on Monday. This number was reduced overnight, but is expected to increase again during the day. The fire department used reliable measures to fight the fire, including dropping water from the air. Two helicopters are in use, although a firefighting aircraft can only take off irregularly due to the difficult wind conditions, as Tag24 states.
Firefighting challenges
The combination of hillside location, torrential winds and poor accessibility to the fire area poses immense challenges for the fire department. Michael Langlotz, fire department spokesman, expressed optimism about the status of the firefighting work on Monday evening, but the feared change in wind direction could quickly aggravate the situation. The temperatures and low humidity also have a positive effect on the extinguishing work, but caution is still advised.
The cause of the fire is still unclear. While the risk factor of forest fires is increasing in Germany, the problem has become not only local but also global in recent years. According to Statista, more than 1,200 hectares of land in Germany were destroyed by fires in 2023. Forest fires show worrying growth, particularly during dry and hot periods favored by climate change.
Onlookers and safety concerns
What is particularly worrying is the fact that onlookers are hindering the extinguishing work. They repeatedly block paths or follow the fire engines into the forest, which endangers the work of the emergency services. You are urgently warned not to enter the affected forest areas, especially in the area of Königsberg, Nordberg and Steinberg. The “Nina” app has issued corresponding warning messages. The fire department reiterates that there is a danger to life from toxic fumes, extreme heat and water being dropped from above.
Fighting fires is therefore not just a matter for the fire department, but also requires careful behavior on the part of the public. The fire in the Harz Mountains is another example of the increasing challenges that forest fires pose in the context of climate change. At the moment it looks like the extinguishing work will last until at least Wednesday, with one clear goal: to finally extinguish the fire while ensuring the safety of everyone.