Fire again in the Saxon Switzerland National Park
Unknown people have lit an illegal campfire on Großer Winterberg in Saxon Switzerland. The embers had already eaten their way through the ground.
Rangers and forestry employees extinguish the fire. The embers had already eaten their way through the ground. © Schmilka National Park Guard
Attentive nature conservation workers have prevented another forest fire in the Saxon Switzerland National Park. As the national park administration reports, the volunteers noticed the smell of fire around lunchtime on October 2nd. After a long search, they were able to discover the cause on the slope of the Großer Winterberg near Schmilka.
Unknown people had lit a campfire in the strictly protected core zone of the national park near the Wurzel hiking trail and later apparently not extinguished it properly. The leaves were smoldering on about six square meters and the embers had already eaten their way downhill. The perpetrators could no longer be discovered.
Smoldering fire in a thick layer of leaves. The embers had already eaten their way downhill. © Schmilka National Park Guard
Sawn wood for campfire
Rangers from the National Park Guard and trainees from the Neustadt forestry district were able to extinguish the fire by chopping up the forest floor and emptying six fire-fighting backpacks with a total of 150 liters of water. Sawn-off branches lay ready around the fire site. Traces indicate a night camp, which is not permitted here.
The fire site the day after. Sawn wood was ready next to the fireplace. © private
The national park rangers believe that the illegal campfire was lit a day or two earlier. Afterwards, the fireplace, which was not completely extinguished, was apparently left to its own devices. Only the damp weather prevented anything worse from happening.
The national park administration announced that it would file a complaint against unknown persons. Information about those who caused the fire would be welcomed.
Such incidents have repeatedly led to forest fires in Saxon Switzerland in the past. The embers eat through the thick layer of humus unnoticed and continue to burn underground. Open fires and smoking are generally prohibited in all Saxon forests.
2023-10-13 17:39:51
#Fire #Saxon #Switzerland #National #Park
