Long plumes of smoke on the Brocken, fire brigades, planes and helicopters in constant use in the summer heat: on the highest mountain in the Harz Mountains, emergency services on the ground and from the air fought a large forest fire all weekend long. Now that the fire has been prevented from spreading, the focus is now on 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. The fire spots later merged into a larger fire front.
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.
Hoping for rain
The roar of firefighting helicopters dropping water over the flames one after the other could be heard around the summit over the weekend. Firefighting planes were also in action. On Saturday evening, the emergency services finally managed to prevent the fire from spreading.
Work was suspended on Sunday night, but patrols were carried out. The aim is to extinguish the fire to such an extent by Sunday that only follow-up extinguishing work is necessary, said Lohse.
The emergency services on site were hoping for rain on Sunday evening. But doubts remained. It often rains in the western Harz, said the head of the crisis team, Immo Kramer, to the dpa. “In the eastern Harz there is often not much left.”
Residents and restaurateurs help with supplies
The planes and helicopters should remain in use until Sunday evening. “Flying will continue until sunset,” said Kramer. On Monday, emergency services on the ground will be able to search for embers in the fire area.
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.
Two years ago, the district declared a state of emergency due to a fire on the Brocken. Back then, it was exactly the same place as now.
Debate about costs for firefighting aircraft
The head of the crisis team 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.
500 people brought to safety
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.
On Friday afternoon, around 500 people were brought to safety from the Brocken by bus. According to the Harz district, they were hikers and athletes. The path to the Brocken is considered one of the most frequently used hiking trails in the Harz National Park.
It was not the only fire that raged in Saxony-Anhalt over the weekend: near Oranienbaum in the east of the state, an area of ​​50 to 55 hectares was affected. A total of around 280 emergency services were on site, and firefighting helicopters were also supporting the work. The forest fire broke out on Friday near the federal highway 107 and a residential area, as well as not far from an area contaminated with munitions.
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