Fire brigade exercise in Suhl's Dreißbachtal: focus on fighting forest fires!

Fire brigade exercise in Suhl's Dreißbachtal: focus on fighting forest fires!

In the Dreißbachtal in Suhl, numerous fire departments from the surrounding districts gathered on Saturday morning to carry out a large-scale exercise to combat forest fires. Over 80 firefighters from Suhl, Ilmkreis, Hildburghausen and Schmalkalden-Meiningen rehearsed an emergency by fighting a simulated forest fire on a steep, difficult-to-access slope of around two hectares. The aim of the exercise was to optimize the processes in the event of a forest fire and to improve cooperation between the various emergency services, as reported Day24.

In view of the fire-threatening situation caused by a real forest fire in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district in recent weeks, which affected over 250 hectares, this training was more than necessary. The representatives of the THW Suhl local association and the ThüringenForst, who were also on site, were particularly impressed by the professionalism. Modern technology was also used: a drone was used for aerial photography and to assess the situation.

The risk of forest fires is increasing

But the exercise was not only an opportunity for practical training, but also a warning signal. The forest fire monitoring season in Thuringia, which began on March 1st and continues until the end of October, indicates that the risk of forest fires in the country must continue to be taken seriously. Loud ThuringiaForst The forest fire risk is assessed daily and divided into five danger levels. In recent years, climate change and careless behavior by forest visitors have contributed to increasing wildfire risks.

People often don't think about the consequences, especially when grilling or smoking cigarettes. Foresters emphasize that many forest fires are man-made. Zudem sollten Fahrzeuge nicht an Waldwegen geparkt werden, damit Löschfahrzeuge im Notfall ungehindert und schnell zur Brandstelle gelangen können.

Prevention measures

The increasing use of forests poses an additional challenge. However, ThüringenForst has already taken comprehensive measures to prevent forest fires. Investments in extinguishing technology, such as special extinguishing water trailers and thermal imaging technology, show that targeted upgrades are being made here. Public relations work to raise awareness of the causes of forest fires was also increased in order to raise public awareness.

Overall, the statistics also show that the risk of forest fires in Germany increases significantly in times of extreme weather events, despite temporary declines between 1991 and 2017. The years 2018 and 2019 were particularly negative in this regard, as numerous fires devastated large areas and made it necessary to rethink prevention Federal Environment Agency determines. With increasing weather changes and unpredictable weather, fighting forest fires remains a challenging task for everyone involved.

The follow-up to the exercise will be evaluated in detail in the coming weeks - as announced by the fire department - in order to use the experiences and findings for future operations. The next time a fire breaks out, collaboration is likely to be even more organized and efficient.