Major fire in Thuringia: 250 hectares of forest are in flames!

Major fire in Thuringia: 250 hectares of forest are in flames!

A huge forest fire is currently raging in the Saalfelder Höhe and the situation is tense. Around 250 hectares of forest have been smoking since Wednesday and the local fire brigades were in full operation over the weekend to fight the flames. The Ilm district is providing support for the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district, which has declared a disaster in order to request additional support. A total of around 670 emergency services from Thuringia and Bavaria are on site to prevent anything worse from happening and to extinguish the sources of the fire. According to insuedthueringen.de, the voluntary fire brigades from the Ilm district became active and are doing amazing things in this difficult situation.

The situation is made more difficult by technical problems, as an Erfurt police firefighting helicopter had to temporarily stop working due to a defect. However, he has now been back in action since Thursday evening. To reinforce the firefighting efforts, three fire engines were also requested from Bavaria, as this forest fire is the largest in Thuringia for at least 32 years. This emerges from information from the Thuringia Forestry Agency, as reported by MDR.

The challenges on site

Despite the intensive extinguishing work, problems continue to arise. A road from Reichmannsdorf to Großneundorf had to be closed because numerous onlookers were hindering the emergency services. Police warn onlookers to stay away from the forest fire. The investigation into the cause of the fire is also underway, but the criminal police can only access the crime scenes after the extinguishing work has been completed. Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) visited the scene of the fire and thanked the helpers. He expects that such larger fires will occur more frequently in the future due to climate change.

Maier is calling for a joint civil defense helicopter for the federal states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, which could be stationed in Erfurt. He points out that more federal financial resources should also be made available for civil defense. In addition, the CDU parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament has initiated an examination into the stationing of fire-fighting helicopters and aircraft at Erfurt-Weimar Airport. Prime Minister Mario Voigt (CDU) showed full respect for the firefighters and rescuers who risk their lives for the safety of others.

An overarching problem

Forest fires are a phenomenon that has not only occurred in Thuringia in recent years. In 2023 there were a total of 1,059 forest fires in Germany. Although this represents a decrease of half compared to the previous year, the affected forest area was, at 1,240 hectares, above the long-term average. The number of fire cases also shows regional differences, with more frequent cases occurring in northeastern Germany, eastern northwestern Germany and the Upper Rhine lowlands. There were 251 fires in Brandenburg, making the region the most affected, as the Federal Environment Agency states.

Experts predict an increasing risk of forest fires in the coming decades due to higher temperatures and less precipitation. Younger and sparse coniferous forests with dense undergrowth are particularly at risk. To counteract this, the conversion of conifer monocultures into mixed forests is recommended in order to stabilize and protect forest ecosystems.

The situation in Saalfeld-Rudolstadt shows once again how important it is to act preventively in order to preserve nature and people's safety. While the emergency services are doing their best, it remains to be hoped that the flames can be extinguished soon and the cause of the fire will be clarified more quickly.