Historical forest fire in Thuringia: City administration reports fire!

Historical forest fire in Thuringia: City administration reports fire!

Gösselsdorf, Deutschland - On July 8, 2025, a devastating fire broke out on the Saalfeld Höhe in Thuringia, which according to Thuringia24 to one of the largest forest fires in the region for over 30 years. Hundreds of firefighters fought against the unchecked flames for over a week. On July 14th, the city administration of Saalfeld finally reported "fire".

In the context of comprehensive drone controls, it was shown that there are no more fire nests, which is a relief for the emergency services. These had worked in the shift system, especially on the weekend, on July 12th and 13th, to effectively control the affected area near Gösselsdorf. Now the last fire brigade members can end their missions and withdraw.

The consequences of the fire

The fire destroyed at least 250 hectares of forest, of which there are about 10 hectares of city forest, while the rest belongs to private owners. Due to this dramatic situation, a ban on entering the entire area was issued by the end of August, since there is still a risk of succession damage. Incidentally, an interesting aspect after the fire are the so-called "disaster tourists" who flocked to the region despite the ban. Their presence was an additional problem, as the city spokeswoman Sina Rauch stated.

Saalfeld's city forester has already made plans to first leave nature to its own and to learn from the experiences of other forest fire areas. This decision could help nature to regenerate.

A look outside the box

The forest fires are not just a local problem. In many parts of the world, such as in the Amazon rainforest, human activities, especially through agricultural expansion, also lead to massive fire. According to Greenpeace , these fires are often due to the clearing for cattle breeding and the cultivation of soy. This global perspective shows that the problem of forest fires has far -reaching causes and is closely related to the climate crisis.