Of . – 26.07.2022 11:40 (act 26.07.2022 11:40)
Forests are also on fire in the German states of Brandenburg and Saxony. ©APA/dpa/Jan Woitas
During Tuesday night, wildfires, fueled by extreme drought, spread across the German states of Brandenburg and Saxony. Fires are also spreading in the Czech Republic.
In Brandenburg, Germany, an area near Rehfeld, in the south of the state, is affected, where firefighters tried to contain a large blaze. According to the Elbe-Elster district, it has now spread to an area of 850 hectares.
Forest fires in Germany and the Czech Republic continue to spread
The situation was “very tense,” a fire department spokesman said Tuesday morning. The fire is still not under control. The first residents had to leave their homes on Monday. About 600 people were affected. The Kölsa region in the town of Falkenberg (Elster) was particularly affected, said a spokesman for the fire department. The fire brigade was at the scene of the fire with 350 firefighters in the morning.
A spokesperson for the Fire Department describes the situation as “very tense”
In addition, the fire brigade considered evacuating another village. Lönnewitz would likely have to be cleaned during the day, district fire chief Steffen Ludewig in Falkenberg/Elster said Tuesday morning. “The situation is still serious. We still have fires.”
Situation of forest fires unclear due to strong wind
In Rehfeld, the situation was very confusing due to the strong wind, deputy wildfire protection officer Philipp Haase said on Monday. According to him, there was a forest fire between the wind turbines, and at least one system was within the fire area. Among other things, Bundeswehr helicopters were requested for Tuesday, Haase said. A police helicopter was also called in to investigate the situation. Brandenburg has been affected by forests and wildfires several times this year. According to the Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment, more than 90% of all wildfires are caused by human activity.
Seven firefighters injured during firefighting
At least seven emergency services were injured during the operation, six of them were taken to hospital, the district said. In addition, a piglet breeding facility in the Kölsa settlement was set on fire and many animals died.
Forest fire in Czech Bohemian Switzerland National Park
A forest fire that broke out in the Czech Bohemian Switzerland National Park has spread to the Saxon Switzerland National Park. For the communities of Sebnitz and Bad Schandau, the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district office triggered a preliminary phase for the disaster alarm on Monday, as a spokesperson announced in the evening. Later, a disaster alarm was raised for Bad Schandau.
Forces in the Czech Republic withdrew to protect themselves
The forces withdrew to their own protection at night. Firefighting has been underway with new forces since Tuesday at 6am. Currently, 250 firefighters and members of the federal and state police are mobilized. Two water cannons, each with a capacity of 10,000 liters, and two helicopters are also used to fight fire. The water supply comes from the Elbe, for example. “Our big problem is the wind,” a spokesperson for the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district office said of the fire’s spread.
Forest fire: Situation in the national park in the Czech Republic is reaching its peak
Meanwhile, the situation in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park in the Czech Republic has deteriorated dramatically. Countless residents of Hrensko municipality, considered the gateway to the national park, had to leave their homes on Tuesday morning. The announcement was made by a spokesman for the Czech fire brigade. All buildings on the right bank of the Kamnitz, which flows into the Elbe, were affected.
Several buildings caught fire in the city of Mezna. Extinction work resumed in the morning after an overnight interruption. Emergency services also evacuated a children’s holiday camp with about 100 participants from Germany. The children and their caregivers were handed over to German helpers at the border.
More than 150 firefighters mobilized on site
More than 150 firefighters were at the scene to fight the flames. They are supported by police and army helicopters. The forest fire started on Sunday in an area originally about seven hectares. He is now threatening the Prebischtor with the “Hawk’s Nest” excursion restaurant. The rock formation is considered the symbol of the national park.
As of Tuesday, smoke could still be felt in Prague, some 90 kilometers away, and beyond. Many concerned citizens called the fire department. Authorities appealed to the public not to block emergency lines. Interior Minister Vit Rakusan announced that he would seek help abroad. Bohemian Switzerland National Park directly borders Saxon Switzerland on the German side.
Forest fires also in Greece
However, forested areas continued to burn in other parts of Europe, for example in Greece, where the risk of new fires remained high on Tuesday. However, emergency services reported a slightly improved situation. In the southern part of the island of Lesvos, 85 firefighters with 21 fire engines and firefighting planes and helicopters managed to control the flames. On the Peloponnese peninsula, the forest fire was put off for the time being, but it was not completely extinguished until early morning. There were 159 firefighters on duty, as reported by the newspaper “Kathimerini”.
The situation in Dadia National Park, in the northeast of the country, remained difficult. There, 320 firefighters put out the fire for the sixth day in a row. The military and rangers tried to cut down large swaths of forest to prevent the flames from spreading further. In many parts of Greece, there was a high to very high risk of wildfires on Tuesday.
Volunteer firefighter dies in forest fires near Morocco
Meanwhile, a volunteer firefighter died in renewed forest fires in northern Morocco. Another firefighter was injured and is being treated in hospital, local officials said on Monday. About 33 hectares of vegetation were destroyed in the fire in Tanouate province, near the cities of Fez and Meknes.
Firefighters worked Tuesday night to control the fire. Several fires have raged in northern Morocco since Monday. Larache province, where devastating forest fires had already raged in mid-July, was particularly hard hit. At that time, one person died in the fire and 10,500 hectares of vegetation were set on fire.
Forest fires also in Bordeaux, southern France
While wildfires on the Atlantic coast of southern France south of Bordeaux are slowly being brought under control, lingering heat in the Mediterranean is causing concern due to rising water temperatures. The French Observatory for Tornadoes and Severe Storms has already described water temperatures, which have risen to nearly 30 degrees, as exceptional and very worrying.