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Forest fire near Thale: 600 square meters of flames threaten to break out again!
There is a high risk of forest fires in the Wittenberg district. Current firefighting measures in the Bodetal near Thale.
Forest fire near Thale: 600 square meters of flames threaten to break out again!
The situation in the Bodetal near Thale, in the Harz Mountains, remains tense because a forest fire that broke out on Tuesday has still not been completely extinguished. Loud stern.de The fire area is around 2,000 square meters, with around 600 square meters still burning.
The fire broke out on Tuesday around 5 p.m., the exact cause is still unclear. The fire brigade worked intensively overnight and into the morning to fight the fire and at least partially contain it. The emergency services are currently busy extinguishing the fire, although the situation on site remains challenging due to the difficult-to-access terrain southeast of the Tannenkopf. There are currently 150 firefighters from Thale and the region on duty, supplemented by a drone and a firefighting aircraft, which is operated with the help of the Hasselfelde and Ballenstedt volunteer fire departments.
Support from technology and people
In order to combat the embers, extinguishing work started early in the morning. The firefighting aircraft carried out water drops every 20 minutes, but without the use of fire retardants. These targeted actions helped contain the fire in five sections, such as MDR.de reported.
Particularly impressive is the large cloud of smoke that was visible over Thale and, due to the heavy smoke, asked passers-by to avoid the affected area. The road between Thale and Friedrichsbrunn was closed to traffic, but departure from Hexentanzplatz was still possible. A local family provided welcome support to emergency responders with ice cream, which was certainly welcome refreshment in the heat of battle.
Forest fire danger levels and abnormalities
Saxony-Anhalt currently has the second highest forest fire danger level (level 4), while the Wittenberg district has even reached the highest level 5. The danger situation is also critical in the Harz National Park due to the drought. In Lower Saxony, level 4 also applies in many regions, while level 5 has even been registered in the towns of Celle, Faßberg and Wittingen-Vorhop. To address this, the Harz Narrow Gauge Railway uses diesel trains in some sections to minimize additional risk.
The fire department is planning another on-site inspection today to continually assess and improve the situation. Concerns about the wildfire threat remain and emergency responders' efforts continue.