26.07.2022 22:14 133.904
Forest fire in Saxon Switzerland: Despite minor successes, the situation remains critical
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By Kim Marie Moser, Florian Mentele
Dresden – The forest fire in the Bohemian and Saxon Switzerland is still not under control. The major fire that broke out on the Czech side on Sunday near the Prebischtor in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, which is popular with tourists, also spread to areas of Saxon Switzerland on Monday.
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The Bohemian National Park near Hřensko was ablaze with flames during the night. © Marko Foerster
Therefore, the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district office even triggered a disaster alarm for Bad Schandau on Tuesday morning, as a spokesman for the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district office announced. A precursor to the disaster alarm for the communities of Sebnitz and Bad Schandau had already been triggered on Monday.
During the course of Tuesday, the number of deployment sites around the Großer Winterberg had increased from three to five. By evening, three of them were under control while the fire continued to spread in the remaining two locations.
The fire now covers around 250 hectares. The extinguishing work, which according to spokesman Hanspeter Mayr “will continue for days”, is made more difficult by the special topography and the complicated procurement of extinguishing water (including from the Elbe and the Kirnitzsch), which is why the situation remains tense.
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Fire disaster in Saxon Switzerland: Saxony’s interior minister cancels vacation
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Currently, according to one Communication from the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance 400 firefighters and members of the federal and state police on site. Two water cannons, each with a capacity of 10,000 liters and two helicopters, which are supplied with water from the Elbe, are also used to fight the fire.
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A Bundeswehr helicopter flies with an external fire-fighting water container over a fire in the Saxon Switzerland National Park. © Sebastian Kahnert/dpa
Forests may no longer be entered
The fire in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park in Hrensko near the border with Saxony is to be extinguished with a helicopter (right). The forest on the small Winterberg in Saxon Switzerland is also on fire. © Robert Michael/dpa
In the afternoon, the two state and federal police helicopters received support from three Bundeswehr fire-fighting helicopters.
On Tuesday afternoon, the district office finally announced that the forests in the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district could no longer be entered until further notice. There is danger to body and soul.
Exceptions apply to forest owners, hunters, residents and forest workers, among others. As soon as the weather conditions change, the general decree will be revoked.
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Forest fires in Saxon Switzerland and the Czech Republic: the fight against the fire continues
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Already on Monday called dhe Tourism Association of Saxon Switzerland on Instagram to “absolutely avoid the area of Winterberg, Kipphorn, Frienstein and Hřensko” and to leave the affected area of the national park at best.
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The district office announced that the forests in the district of Saxon Switzerland-Osterzgebirge may no longer be entered until further notice. © Robert Michael/dpa
Appeal by the Tourism Association of Saxon Switzerland
Message from the Dresden Fire Department on the smell of smoke on Twitter
Rain is not expected until Friday
The fire brigade tried to extinguish the blazing flames directly behind houses in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. © Hájek Vojtìch/CTK/dpa
“Our big problem is the wind,” said a spokesman for the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district office, referring to the spread of the fire.
However, the weather could play into the hands of the emergency services in fighting the forest fire on Tuesday. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), there are no significant winds in the region that could reignite the fire. There is only a weak gust from the north-west. Rain is not expected in the area until Friday.
The Saxon Environment Minister Wolfram Günther (49, Greens) meanwhile described the current forest fire season in Saxony as “devastating”. “This forest fire is a tragedy for the region and for all people who make a living from tourism… Here we are experiencing the consequences of the climate crisis with drought, heat and dried out forests”.
District Administrator Michael Geisler (62, CDU) was also in the fire area on Tuesday afternoon, provided information about the situation and expressed his gratitude to all rescue workers, the members of the THW, the rescue and aid organizations and the emergency services from neighboring counties.
“I hope that the fire can be contained with everyone’s help,” said Geisler.
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The forest is on fire in the Saxon Switzerland National Park. The district office announced on Tuesday afternoon that entering the forests will be prohibited for the next 24 hours. © Sebastian Kahnert/dpa
Dresdeners complain again about burning smell
The view from Lichtenhain towards the national park. © Marko Foerster
On Tuesday evening around 6 p.m., the first Dresdeners complained again about the bad smell in the air. It is most likely that this will move from the Saxon-Brandenburg border in the direction of the state capital.
The unpleasant smoke could already be smelled as far away as Dresden on Monday evening and during the night and prevented numerous residents of the state capital from taking urgently needed ventilation measures despite the high temperatures. A few rain showers did little to change that.
“The smell of fire from the operation in Bohemian Switzerland is on its way to the Elbe valley again this night,” said the Dresden fire brigade on Twitter on Monday evening.
On Sunday, too, the stench of smoke carried by the southeast wind through the Elbe valley had already caused a high level of fine dust pollution in the region. So this was according to the State Environment Agency in the south of Dresden on Monday morning around 3.6 micrograms of soot per cubic meter of air, three times as high as usual.
In the meantime, numerous people have complained about the smell of burning at the Czech fire brigade, as the authority reports Twitter communicated. The comrades received many calls on Tuesday morning, especially from Liberec, Pardubice and the capital Prague.
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Clouds of smoke drift over the village in the Falkenberg region. The administrative staff of the district ordered the evacuation of Rehfeld in the early evening. © Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa
Depending on the wind situation, the load could be even greater, because a fire is also raging in Brandenburg south of Rehfeld in the Elbe-Elster district over an area of around 100 hectares, as the district announced on Monday. The fire was classified as a major damage situation, and the Kölsa settlement in the city of Falkenberg (Elster) was particularly affected.
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The situation in the Czech Republic is getting worse: Hundreds of people have been evacuated
Helicopters support the extinguishing work in the Czech National Park Bohemian Switzerland in Hrensko near the border with Saxony. © Robert Michael/dpa
On the Czech side, the situation worsens dramatically. So had to be noisy on Tuesday night CT24 about a hundred residents from Vysoke Lipa near Hrensko should be evacuated – because there was a risk that the fire would hit the village from two sides.
The chief of the fire and rescue service, Vladimír Vlček, announced that the current main goal was to prevent the flames from spreading to the northeast.
A total of 400 fire brigade comrades are currently divided into seven sections on an area of 800 hectares. Two planes and four helicopters are also helping to fight the flames.
Already on Tuesday morning, many residents of the municipality of Hrensko had to leave their homes. Also in the town of Mezna (German: Stimmersdorf) several buildings went up in flames. Nobody has been injured so far.
The local police have also launched an investigation into the fire. “We are also investigating the case from a negligent crime perspective,” confirmed spokesman Daniel Vítek CT24.
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Original message from 7.48 a.m., last updated 10.14 p.m.
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Cover photo: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa
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