Waldbrand in Thuringia: Rain brings hope, evacuation!

Waldbrand in Thuringia: Rain brings hope, evacuation!

Gohrischheide, Thüringen, Deutschland - On July 8, 2025, a threatening situation calmed down in Thuringia. The disaster due to the forest fire on the Saalfeld Höhe was lifted. Nevertheless, it takes a few more days for the post -extinguishing work to be completed. "The situation in some of the operations remains stable," explains Peter Lahann, spokesman for the district office Saalfeld-Rudolstadt. But attentive is still offered, as there are repeated recurring sections.

The relief that has fallen in the Gohrischheide, north of Saxony, is particularly gratifying thanks to the rain. In the past few weeks, around 650 firefighters and helpers had fought tirelessly against the flames. Now there are around 60 firefighters who are on site and track down with portable thermal imaging cameras. In addition, drones with thermal imaging cameras are used to prevent further spread.

Return of the residents and large forest areas affected

In a positive turn, the residents of the Heidehäuser village can now return after the evacuation has been lifted. Around 100 people were affected, including residents of a nursing home. The fire in the Gohrischheide has previously affected an alarming area of around 2,100 hectares - more than the annual average area that is typically lost in Germany through forest fires.

For comparison: In the previous year, 463 fires destroyed about 334 hectares of forest area. Since the 1970s, forest fire data in Germany has been systematically recorded in order to identify and minimize trends and risks at an early stage. The goal is clear: to reduce the destruction of forest areas by calamities such as forest fires and to protect the forest as an important resource. After all, not only users, but also protection and recreation functions, which are of great importance in a densely populated region. ble.de emphasizes how important it is to avoid such incidents in the best possible way.

causes and investigations

The criminal police have already investigated the cause of the fire. The fire broke out near Gösselsdorf on Wednesday of last week and has so far turned out to be one of the largest forest fire events in Thuringia for about 30 years. The massive burning of the area raises the question of the security situation in forest areas. It remains to be seen which factors led to this catastrophic development.

The situation once again shows how vulnerable our forests are. Despite the moving extinguishing work, the danger from fires is consistently high. It is to be hoped that the current measures will help to have future forest fires better under control and to protect the impressive forest areas of our homeland. voice.de and Spiegel.de Reports on developments around this forest fire.