A massive forest fire on the Brocken in the Harz Mountains has led to the evacuation of 500 people. The fire-fighting operations are proving difficult.
Brocken – A large forest fire on the Brocken in the Harz Mountains led to the evacuation of 500 people on Friday. The fire broke out in the afternoon around 2 p.m. near the Kesselklippe, as the ndr reported. The fire spread quickly, and the clouds of smoke were visible for miles. According to a spokesperson for the Harz district, a larger fire front has now formed, as many of the individual fires have merged.
Forest fire in the Harz: 500 visitors evacuated by bus from Brocken – situation “still serious”
Tourists, hikers and athletes were brought to safety from the Harz summit by bus after the Harz narrow-gauge railways stopped traffic between Drei Annen Hohne and the Brocken. The evacuation of the Brocken was completed in the evening, according to the district. There was already a fire on the Brocken last year.
A total of around 150 firefighters are working on the ground and in the air by helicopter to bring the flames under control. “The situation on the Brocken is still serious,” said a spokesman for the Harz district at the Berlin newspaperThe city of Wernigerode and the Harz district have formed a joint task force to improve the coordination of measures.
Difficult extinguishing work at forest fire on the Brocken – support from the German armed forces requested
The fire-fighting work is proving extremely difficult. District fire chief Kai-Uwe Lohse explained that the firefighters on the ground are taking up a so-called blocking position to prevent the flames from spreading, as the Mirror reported. In addition, two firefighting aircraft from Lower Saxonyan aircraft from the Harz district and a helicopter were deployed. Six additional helicopters from the German army and the federal police were requested. The emergency services are working around the clock to prevent the fire from spreading further.
The risk of forest fires in Saxony-Anhalt is currently very high. In recent weeks there have been repeated forest and field fires, but most of them were quickly extinguished. (sp)
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