Fire inferno in Gohrischheide: evacuations and disaster alarm!

Fire inferno in Gohrischheide: evacuations and disaster alarm!

The forest fire in Gohrischheide, in the Meißen district, has been keeping the fire department and residents on tenterhooks since Tuesday afternoon. A real battle against the flames is currently being waged by >700 emergency services, including members of the fire department and the Technical Relief Organization (THW). Loud MDR The firefighting effort fails due to old ammunition in the ground and difficult weather conditions, which are particularly exacerbated by wind. The sources of the fire are near Jacobsthal, Neudorf, Heidehäuser, Lichtensee and Nieska.

With a fire cloud that was visible up to 30 kilometers away, the danger in the region turns out to be great. Even in Dresden you can smell the burning smell. A disaster alarm was even triggered for the communities of Zeithain, Wülknitz and the city of Gröditz. As a preventive measure, hundreds of residents had to be evacuated, with the evacuation of Neudorf loud Day24 went smoothly.

Evacuations and fears of residents

In Neudorf, 269 people were asked to leave their homes. Resident Alexander Rosental grabbed important items and got to safety. Other residents also report that they prepared for the worst and made a makeshift departure with personal documents and belongings. A change in the weather with rain in the morning provided some relief for a short time.

The operation is running at full speed as the fire brigade and the THW are fighting the flames with several helicopters and special water cannons. Firefighting water is obtained from nearby gravel pits and cisterns. However, due to the risk of detonation, the emergency services must maintain a distance of 1,000 meters from the sources of the fire. Fighting the fire directly is therefore extremely complex.

Climate change and the risk of forest fires

A problem that is also significant in this case are the conditions favored by climate change, which have led to an increase in forest fires worldwide in recent years. According to the current figures, over 1,200 hectares of forest area in Germany were destroyed by fires in 2023 alone, a figure that represents just the tip of the iceberg. Statista reports that in the past the greatest destruction occurred in southern European countries, the USA and the Amazon region.

The risk of fire in Saxony is somewhat reduced by the weather conditions, but the historical remains of ammunition in the forest area make extinguishing work a challenging matter. A citizen hotline was set up to inform residents about the status of things. Before things finally return to normality, emergency services are required to take all measures to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to inhabited areas.