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Forest fire on Saalfelder Höhe: A historic inferno has been extinguished!
Forest fire in Saalfeld-Rudolstadt: Historic fire extinguished, 250 hectares affected, entry ban until the end of August.
Forest fire on Saalfelder Höhe: A historic inferno has been extinguished!
On July 8, 2025, a devastating forest fire broke out in Thuringia, which quickly became one of the largest fires in the last 30 years. Hundreds of emergency services fought tirelessly for a week against the flames, which were primarily raging in the region around Gösselsdorf. On July 14th, the Saalfeld city administration was finally able to report “fire out” after drone inspections no longer detected any pockets of fire. The fire brigade's operation, which worked in shifts on July 12th and 13th, was successfully completed. Nevertheless, the region will remain closed to visitors until the end of August in order to leave nature to its own devices and eliminate possible dangers, especially given the growing number of “disaster tourists”.
The burned area covered at least 250 hectares, of which around 10 hectares were urban forest and the rest was privately owned. This dimension of the fire should not be underestimated, as it is considered the largest known forest fire area in Thuringia for around three decades. The exact causes of the fire are still unknown, which has prompted the affected foresters to learn from other forest fire areas and to develop suitable measures for reforestation and forest protection. According to experts, the climate plays a significant role, as an increase in forest fires is predicted in the coming decades - a concern that also concerns other regions, such as Brandenburg, where similar experiences have already been made.
A look at the development of forest fires in Germany
The fire department and authorities have seriously studied the situation surrounding the forest fires in recent years. To better contain forest fires, it is recommended that conifer monocultures be replaced by mixed forests. After all, it has been shown again and again that younger coniferous forests with dense undergrowth are particularly susceptible to fire. Awareness of the dangers is growing and not only in Thuringia, but also in other federal states, there is a debate about the prevention and consequences of forest fires.
The urban foresters and authorities in Thuringia are now faced with the challenge of sensibly renovating the affected areas and at the same time countering the negative effects of future fires. The issue of forest fire prevention will therefore remain a hot topic in the coming years and requires active participation from the population. As reported, extensive experience from other forest fire areas will be collected next year in order to be better prepared in an emergency. Nature is impressively resilient, but we humans also have to do our part to protect it.
For further information on the forest fires in Thuringia and Germany, it is worth taking a look at the reports from Thuringia24, as well as the detailed statistics of the Federal Environment Agency and the regional reports from star.