Jena fire brigade fights against large forest fire near Saalfeld!

Jena fire brigade fights against large forest fire near Saalfeld!

The emergency services from Jena are currently on alert to fight the largest forest fire in Thuringia in the past 32 years. Since Thursday, 24 firefighters from the voluntary fire departments Jena-Mitte and Lützeroda have been on site with five vehicles to help directly near Gösselsdorf in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district. The fire, which has already affected around 300 hectares of forest, is still not under control, and a final command is still pending because the situation develops dynamically. This reported tixio.

Difficulties also existed in air support: A police fire helicopter from Erfurt had to stop working due to a technical defect. Nevertheless, the helicopter could be put back into service faster than expected since Thursday evening. Due to the arduous slope, however, the federal police could not send any major helicopters to support. In order to strengthen the extinguishing teams, three fire trucks from Bavaria were also requested, such as MDR reported.

challenges by onlooking

The onlookers who are near the fire area are a major problem. The street from Reichmannsdorf to Großneundorf is closed because many gaffers hinder the emergency services. The police urge the population to keep away from the forest fire so as not to endanger the work of the fire brigade.

The burning forests are not just a local problem; The reasons for the increasing forest fires are also alarming. Climate change plays an important role here: Dry and heat periods are increasingly appearing that increase the risk of forest fires. These dangerous fire not only threaten nature, but also the health of people from the release of fine dust. In 2023, over 1,200 hectares were destroyed by forest fires in Germany, and the risk that such events will increase is not to be ignored, as Statista emphasized.

thanks to the helpers

Thuringia Minister of the Interior Georg Maier (SPD) has expressed his thanks to the emergency services on site and emphasized how important their work is for the security of the citizens. Mayor Benjamin Koppe (CDU) also thanked the firefighters for their professional efforts and highlighted the close cooperation with the Thuringian State Administrative Office.

Since the situation can change rapidly, you are already preparing for further missions on Sunday and Monday, whereby 100 forces are expected to work in shift operation. The fire brigade can react flexibly to the local conditions, which is of great importance in such dynamic plants.

In view of the continuing location, the CDU parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament has requested an examination of the deployment of extinguishing helicopters and aircraft at Erfurt-Weimar Airport-a step that could possibly help to make fire fighting more effectively in the future.