Forest fire in Gohrischheide escalates: evacuations continue!

Forest fire in Gohrischheide escalates: evacuations continue!

Efforts to fight an extensive forest fire are ongoing in Gohrischheide, a former military training area in the Meißen district. The emergency services have been on site since Tuesday to extinguish the flames, which are rapidly spreading towards Brandenburg. Around 600 firefighters and helpers are currently on duty, supported by fire-fighting helicopters from the Bundeswehr and the Federal Police as well as police water cannons. This operation, which has now been running for three days, has already forced dozens of residents to evacuate, with the situation in the region continuing to deteriorate. According to radiodresden.de, the Jacobsthal and Heidehäuser operational sections are particularly affected as the fire continues to spread due to dry vegetation and light winds.

The situation is particularly explosive in the area around Heidehäuser, where around 100 people, including around 45 residents of a home for the severely disabled, had to be evacuated on Wednesday evening. As an additional precautionary measure, the authorities are also calling for the residents of Lichtensee to be evacuated, but they were able to receive the all-clear shortly before midnight. “There’s something going on” – that’s how one could accurately describe the critical situation. The residents of Jacobsthal train station also needed immediate action on Friday evening, so people were evacuated here too. With the fire spreading to at least 600 hectares, it is clear that the flames pose a huge threat. The ozone layer is already being polluted by clouds of smoke as far away as Berlin, and the warning app Nina has warned people in neighboring Brandenburg districts about smoke and odor nuisance, as mz.de reports.

Evacuations and citizen telephone

The evacuations are still continuing and the district office has set up a citizens' telephone number, which can be reached on 03521 725-7251 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Residents and those affected are asked to only take the essentials with them, especially ID cards and cash. We also point out the possibility of making monetary donations to the Zeithain community account to support those affected by the fires.

The spread of fire is not only a local phenomenon, but also highlights an increasing problem that has affected Germany in recent years. In 2023, over 1,200 hectares of forest area in Germany were destroyed by fires, while in the previous year this number was over 3,000 hectares - the highest value in the last 30 years. Studies on forest fires show that they are caused by the climate crisis. The problems caused by such fires can not only result in ecological devastation; They also pose a threat to human life and living spaces, as the surveys by statista.com make clear.

A spokesman for fire protection in Brandenburg, Raimund Engel, reported that the fire was escalating and warned of the danger posed by detonating ammunition at the former military training area. The difficult access to the area also makes extinguishing work considerably more difficult. In addition, two firefighters from Brandenburg have already suffered serious burns while on duty.

Overall, the situation remains tense. The emergency services are prepared to do everything they can to contain the flames and prevent further damage. It shows once again how important a well-organized fire department and critical sensitization of the population are in such situations.