Fundraising marathon for the fire department: Help after the mega fire in Gohrischheide!

Fundraising marathon for the fire department: Help after the mega fire in Gohrischheide!

The alarming sirens wailed in front of the Gröditz town hall on Wednesday afternoon when donations collected after the devastating fire in Gohrischheide were handed over. This fire was the largest fire in Saxony's history and occurred two months ago in Jacobsthal. Due to its size, the emergency services needed support from Saxony and neighboring federal states, which made the situation even more dramatic. Mayor Enrico Münch (CDU) spoke of “sheer madness” when it came to the willingness to donate after the fire.

The idea to collect donations came from Katja Lehmann, who organized the Gröditz Yoga Summer event. A total of 3,000 euros were raised at the numerous open-air events in cities such as Gröditz, Riesa and Bad Liebenwerda. The average contribution was around ten euros per participant, although many yoga studios generously rounded up the amounts. The money collected was presented to the mayors of Wülknitz, Zeithain and Gröditz as well as representatives of the fire department and will be used for further training and excursions for fellow firefighters.

Operational costs and financial hardships

The financial requirement is enormous: Mayor Mirko Pollmer of Zeithain estimates the costs of fighting the fire at around 260,000 euros. Gröditz and Wülknitz estimate their costs at 90,000 euros and 27,000 euros. Wülknitz's mayor Rico Weser drew attention to a problem: there is a lack of farmers who could help fight the fire. Enrico Münch is now hoping for support from the state to cover the high costs.

The discussion about more effective firefighting in the Gohrischheide is already underway. There are also discussions with the Saxon Ministry of the Interior to examine the use of armored vehicles. Heath forester Stefan Müller criticized the lack of suitable equipment in the Free State and noted that the current situation was inadequate for active firefighting in areas contaminated with ammunition.

Support from Brandenburg

Brandenburg is also helping in this emergency and has sent fire protection units and special extinguishing technology to the Gohrischheide to fight the forest fire. Tank fire engines and the MVF-5 fire-fighting robot have been in use since Saturday, supported by additional forces from various districts, including Dahme-Spreewald and Potsdam-Mittelmark. A total of 73 mostly volunteer emergency services are on site with 15 vehicles. Interior Minister Wilke emphasized that it was a matter of course to help neighbors in need and thanked the courageous emergency services for their commitment. Brandenburg is supporting the firefighting efforts in Gohrischheide.

A global challenge

But the issue of firefighting is not only important locally, but also globally. The WWF is actively fighting forest fires in many regions, supported by donations. The organization organizes fire-fighting helicopters, ensures the provision of equipment and the rescue and care of injured animals. But this also shows that fire prevention is the key to avoiding future fires. Political measures to promote natural forestry and to protect existing forest areas are urgently needed. The WWF is active worldwide in the fight against forest fires.

Overall, the situation in Gohrischheide is a warning example that we all need to pull together to more effectively address both the local and global challenges of climate change and firefighting.