Waldbrand in Gohrischheide: flames spread to Brandenburg!

Waldbrand in Gohrischheide: flames spread to Brandenburg!

The forest fire in the Gohrischheide, district of Meißen, has been in suspense since Tuesday afternoon. What started as a local fire has now become a major damage Situation because the flames have expanded significantly overnight. According to MDR fight over 200 firefighters and women at several fronts against the fire, the spread of which is dangerous in the ground. Again and again eyewitnesses report detonations that complicate the extinguishing work.

The railway line between Riesa and Falkenberg was closed as a precaution. Local residents in the area not only have to take care of the flames, but also before the smell of smell by the smoke, which pulls to Bautzen and Görlitz. It is particularly worrying that the fire brigade operates in a danger situation in which it has to keep a distance of 1,000 meters to protect itself from potential explosions.

dramatic developments and evacuations

With the fire, the evacuation of Heidehäuser has also started. Around 45 residents of a dormitory for severely disabled people were brought to safety, while a warning for evacuation for Lichtenensee was temporarily pronounced, but was then lifted again. Dozens of residents had to leave their houses, reports Tagesspiegel . The affected area has now grown to at least 600 hectares, which means more than tenfold expansion since Wednesday.

The fire that broke out near a former Sprenglatz of the ordnance disposal service has also spread towards Brandenburg. As a result, additional emergency services - including firefighters from Elsterwerda - are on duty to combat the flames. "The situation is extremely critical," says Brandenburg's forest fire protection officer Raimund Engel, who stated an escalation of the fire.

historical fires and causes

The Gohrischheide is not newly confronted with forest fires - there have been similar incidents in recent years, including the most devastating forest fire in Saxony in June 2022. The probability of forest fires will increase in the coming years, since higher temperatures and less precise are forecast, report experts from Environmental Federal Agency .

In 2023 there were already 1,059 forest fires in Germany. Most of the fires were recorded in Brandenburg, and it is feared that human action, especially arson and negligence, is responsible for 40 % of cases. This problem combines with the fact that many fires occur from May to July, which extends the forest fire season.

confronted with the kite hunting of the fire, the use of the fire brigade remains challenging and requires a high level of commitment to both the staff and the helpers. While the situation remains tense, everyone hopes for the fire that will soon be controlled.