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Forest fire in Thuringia: Rain brings hope, evacuation lifted!
On July 8, 2025, the state of disaster due to a forest fire in Thuringia was lifted; Re-extinguishing work is ongoing.
Forest fire in Thuringia: Rain brings hope, evacuation lifted!
On July 8, 2025, a threatening situation in Thuringia calmed down. The disaster due to the forest fire on the Saalfelder Höhe has been lifted. However, it will still take a few days until the subsequent extinguishing work is completely completed. “The situation in some areas of the operation remains stable,” explains Peter Lahann, spokesman for the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district office. But attention is still required as there are always sections that flare up again.
The relief is particularly pleasing thanks to the rain that fell in Gohrischheide, north of Saxony. In the past few weeks, around 650 firefighters and emergency workers had fought tirelessly against the flames. There are now around 60 firefighters on site and using portable thermal imaging cameras to detect embers. Drones with thermal imaging cameras are also being used to prevent further spread.
Return of residents and large forest area affected
In a positive twist, residents of the town of Heidehäuser can now return now that the evacuation has been lifted. Around 100 people were affected, including residents of a nursing home. The Gohrischheide fire has so far affected an alarming area of around 2,100 hectares - more than the annual average area typically lost to forest fires in Germany.
For comparison: In the previous year, 463 fires destroyed around 334 hectares of forest area. Forest fire data has been systematically recorded in Germany since the 1970s in order to identify and minimize trends and risks at an early stage. The goal is clear: to reduce the destruction of forest areas through calamities such as forest fires and to protect the forest as an important resource. After all, it not only has useful but also protective and recreational functions, which are of great importance in a densely populated region. ble.de emphasizes how important it is to avoid such incidents as best as possible.
Causes and investigations
The criminal police have already started investigating the cause of the fire. The fire broke out near Gösselsdorf on Wednesday last week and has so far turned out to be one of the largest forest fire events in Thuringia in around 30 years. The massive burning of land raises questions about the security situation in forest areas. It remains to be seen what factors led to this catastrophic development.
The situation shows once again how vulnerable our forests are. Despite the intensive firefighting work, the risk of fires remains consistently high. It is hoped that the current measures will help to better control future forest fires and protect the impressive forest areas of our homeland. Voice.de and Spiegel.de continue to report on the developments surrounding this forest fire.