DRK Jena fights against devastating forest fire in Saalfeld!

DRK Jena fights against devastating forest fire in Saalfeld!

What's going on in Thuringia? The emergency services in the region are facing a major challenge, as a forest fire on the Saalfelder Höhe has become the worst fire disaster in Thuringia in over 30 years. This alarming situation requires the commitment of many helpers, including from DRK Jena. Since July 3rd, full-time and volunteer staff from the DRK district association Jena-Eisenberg-Stadtroda e.V. have been on duty to support the fire departments on site.

The focus is on medical security in the EAS 1 operational section. On July 4th at 4:00 a.m., an emergency medical transport vehicle (N-KTW) was put into service, manned by a paramedic and an emergency paramedic. This is strategically positioned between Gösselsdorf and Großneundorf to ensure rapid medical care for the volunteer firefighters.

Tension in the operational area

The situation remains tense. Despite the intensive extinguishing work, embers continue to flare up due to the wind. In order to further stabilize the situation, the Thuringian riot police used water cannons, supported by police helicopters and a federal police helicopter equipped with a fire bag. The command vehicle (ELW) has been active in the operational area for command support since Thursday afternoon.

The auxiliary units are organized in 12-hour shifts with four managers and one assistant. The plans call for ELW to continue operating through Sunday to accommodate uninterrupted support.

Causes and prevention measures

But how could this devastating situation come about? The main cause of many forest fires in Germany remains the careless behavior of forest visitors. The ThuringiaForst warns urgently: Ignoring smoking bans and negligent grilling contribute significantly to the start of fires. Climate change and extreme weather-related events further increase the risk of forest fires.

In order to be better prepared in the future, the ThüringenForst has invested intensively in forest fire prevention and technology. This includes not only the repair of fire-fighting water ponds, but also the introduction of new fire-fighting units. Particularly noteworthy is the “Firefighter” from PONSSE, which is equipped with a 10,000 liter extinguishing water tank and a remote-controlled water cannon.

Relevant laws and regulations

In order to improve disaster protection in Thuringia in the long term, work is currently underway on a new version of the Thuringian Fire and Disaster Protection Act (ThürBKG). The draft of the law emerged from intensive specialist work and in exchange with representatives from fire and disaster control. The goals include optimizing the structures for disaster protection. Further information can be found [here](https://innen.thueringen.de/staats-und-verwaltungsrecht/zivile- Defense-katastrophenschutz-rettungswesen).

Considering the current situation, it becomes clear how important well-trained structures and the provision of resources are. Cooperation between the emergency services is being strengthened in order to be able to better cope with the challenges of the future. The forest fire danger map and numerous preventive measures are available free of charge to anyone interested and are intended to help raise awareness about the causes of forest fires.