Large exercise in Suhl: Fire brigade fights against the risk of forest fire!

Large exercise in Suhl: Fire brigade fights against the risk of forest fire!

Suhl, Deutschland - in Suhl today the fire brigade is properly heating up, and in several ways. On July 12, 2025, just a week after the devastating forest fire on the Saalfeld Höhe, there is a large -scale exercise to combat forest fires. Almost 150 firefighters, disaster protectors and helpers of the Technical Relief Agency (THW) are in use in the Sehmar industrial estate and in the Suhler Dreisbachtal to demonstrate their skills in an emergency. The occasion could not be more suitable: the recent fire affected the region, in which 2,400 hectares of forest were affected by July 9 alone.

Organizer of the exercise, Dennis Kummer, head of the Suhler Office for Fire and Disaster Protection, reports that preparations have been running since March. "We have incorporated the knowledge from the fire in Saalfeld into our exercise," he explains. With around 40 vehicles from Suhl, Hildburghausen, Schmalkalden-Meiningen and the Ilmkreis, the most realistic scenario is created to offer the participating forces the best possible practice.

challenges from reality

The challenge should not be underestimated: Fire brigade and other emergency services fought against the flames for almost two weeks, with the situation being often tense. The forest fire on the Saalfeld Höhe extended over 250 hectares and was the largest of this kind in Thuringia for decades, as Thuringia24 reported. Logistic difficulties, such as the food supply for the helpers, also made the extinguishing work challenging. On July 8, when the disaster was officially lifted, the work was not yet done - re -extinguishing work went down, and thermal imaging cameras and drones were also used to locate embers.

Thanks to the numerous emergency services who not only came from Thuringia, but also received support from Bavaria and the THW. Prime Minister Mario Voigt thanked them informally for their immense effort, which is all the more important in times of increasing risk of forest fire.

The role of the forest and forest fire prevention

A look at the numbers shows how important prevention is. According to the nationwide forest fire statistics that have been collected since the 1970s, the forest areas in Germany are threatened. The protective and conservation measures of the forest are becoming increasingly important in the densely populated countries, such as Germany. In order to reduce the number and area size of forest fires in the future, risk reviews and prognostic data are also necessary. As the data prove, only an area of 35 hectares of forest in Thuringia was affected by fires in 2022, while the current fire in Saalfeld was all the more serious.

The meeting of professional rescue workers in Suhl should not only improve the methods in dealing with fires, but also strengthen awareness of the existing danger. "There is something," says Kummer and hopes that this exercise will be drawn to valuable teachings that may be able to prevent future fires.

The event today is not just an exercise, but an important step to prepare for serious future challenges in the fight against forest fires.