The fight against the forest fire on the Brocken continues. Helicopters and many firefighters are once again in action on the ground. This is the current status of the fire-fighting operations and the investigation into the cause.
Wernigerode – Firefighting operations started again early this morning on the Brocken in the Harz Mountains. According to the Harz district, several helicopters are in the air to fight the flames and embers. Around 150 emergency personnel are working on the ground to extinguish the fire. In addition, attention is increasingly turning to how the fire broke out and what role the dead wood plays in fighting the fire.
The Harz district fire chief Kai-Uwe Lohse believes it is possible that the fire was deliberately set. “Arson cannot be ruled out,” Lohse told the German Press Agency. He pointed out that the fire broke out simultaneously in several places on Friday.
When asked, the police said that an investigation into the fire had been launched. However, more detailed information on the cause of the fire would only be available once the scene of the fire could be examined, they said.
Residents and restaurateurs help with supplies
The aim is to extinguish the fire on Sunday to such an extent that only follow-up extinguishing work is necessary, said Lohse. On Saturday evening, the emergency services managed to prevent the fire from spreading. Work was suspended on Sunday night, but according to the district, patrols were carried out.
The emergency services on site are hoping for rain on Sunday evening. But it is unclear whether it will come as announced. It often rains in the West Harz, said the head of the crisis team, Immo Kramer, to the dpa. “In the East Harz there is often not much left.”
Kramer thanked the public and restaurateurs who provided the emergency services with cakes and other food. The sympathy was great, said Kramer. The firefighters worked in shifts and were happy about the support.
Debate on costs for firefighting aircraft
The head of the crisis team also called for more commitment from the EU, federal government and states in the purchase of firefighting aircraft in the coming years. “Such fires will also affect other regions in Germany,” he said. We must prepare for this, as the municipalities cannot permanently cover the refinancing of the costs alone.
The discussions about deadwood are also continuing. According to fire experts, this is one of the reasons for the increased risk of fire and the difficulty of fighting fires. The Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection has again warned against the careless handling of deadwood in forests. The association is calling for sensible area management in forestry. This begins with sensible mapping, but the cultivation and management of deadwood must also be improved, it said.
Standing dead wood resembles fire torches, said Kramer. The combination with the dry grass causes sparks to fly far, so that new embers can constantly form.
The fire broke out on Friday on the Königsberg, a side peak of the Brocken, and spread over a length of around 1,000 meters. The area is currently closed to tourists. dpa
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