Long clouds of smoke on the Brocken, fire brigades in constant use in the summer heat: On the highest mountain in the Harz, emergency services are fighting a large forest and area fire on the ground and from the air. According to the Harz district, the fire is burning over a length of 1000 metres. In the afternoon, there was a first glimmer of hope: “We have managed to contain the fire using a lot of manpower and technology. That means it is not spreading any further at the moment,” said Harz district fire chief Kai-Uwe Lohse.
The roar of firefighting helicopters can be heard all around the summit, dropping water over the flames one after the other. Firefighting planes are also constantly on the move. Smoke is rising into the sky above the Brocken. Extinguishing efforts are to continue until dark – for now. The fire brigade is preparing for a day-long operation.
The risk of forest fires is currently very high in large parts of Saxony-Anhalt. According to the German Weather Service, it will remain warm and dry on Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures in the Schierke district of Wernigerode at an altitude of 600 metres will reach up to 27 degrees. Fire experts believe that the large amount of dead wood and the topography at higher altitudes are one of the reasons for the increased risk of fire and the difficulty of fighting fires in the Harz.
Fire broke out in several places
The fire broke out in several places on Friday – why is still unclear. The fire spots later merged into a larger fire front. Two years ago, the Harz district declared a state of emergency due to a fire on the Brocken. It was exactly the same place as now. It is the Königsberg, a side peak of the Brocken.
Operations manager Jerry Grunau told MDR: “Compared to two years ago, the situation is definitely more difficult and worse.” The situation is tense, Wernigerode’s mayor Tobias Kascha told the broadcaster. The wind is making firefighting operations more difficult.
According to the fire department, 180 emergency personnel are on site. The district fire chief spoke of four firefighting planes and two helicopters. There is also a reconnaissance helicopter from the Thuringian state police. According to him, three firefighting helicopters from the German army are expected. At present, they are setting up the logistics, as the helicopters and planes cannot land everywhere.
Fire brigade prepares for days of operation
Regarding the expected duration of the operation, Lohse said: “We expect it to take several days, but hope that the general weather situation will change on Monday and this will be over.” It is only then that it is expected to rain. The fire service is concerned that embers in the ground could spark new fires.
To prevent the flames from spreading further, additional protective strips are being laid and paths created on the ground. The water will be transported over these. During the night, some firefighters had to withdraw because the fire jumped over some of the protective strips. The flames had also spread during the night.
500 people brought to safety
According to information from Friday, the entire area in the national park is closed, and all events around the Brocken have been cancelled. The district called on people to keep roads and access routes around Schierke and the Brocken clear and not to hinder the emergency services. The Harz narrow-gauge railways announced that the route between Drei Annen Hohne and the Brocken was closed due to the forest fire.
On Friday afternoon, around 500 people were brought to safety from the Brocken by bus. They were hikers and athletes, said a district spokesman. The path to the Brocken is one of the most frequented hiking trails in the Harz National Park.
More fires in Saxony-Anhalt
It is not the only fire raging in Saxony-Anhalt: near Oranienbaum in the east of the state, an area of 50 to 55 hectares is affected, said district fire chief Peter von Geyso at midday. Due to the freshening wind and the heat, the spread of the fire has not yet been completely stopped. A total of around 280 emergency services are on site, and two firefighting helicopters are also supporting the work. According to the district, almost 50,000 liters of water have been dropped from the helicopters so far on Saturday.
The fire also hit areas contaminated with munitions. According to the information, however, the spread was prevented. At midday, State Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang (CDU) took a look at the situation. She described the fire-fighting operations as challenging. The fire broke out on Friday near the federal highway 107 and a residential area. At the beginning, the residential area was also threatened.
Meanwhile, operations have resumed after a fire at the Altmark military training area. A tank infantry battalion is currently training, said Alexander Helle, the press officer of the Army Combat Training Center. The heath burned over a large area on Friday, with strong winds driving the fire. According to the press officer, the fire was caused by a type of smoke pot used to simulate the firing of a tank. This device became very hot and ignited the heath.
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