Elevated Forest Fire Threat in Brandenburg - Border Conditions Remain Steady - Elevated forest fire risk in Brandenburg - border condition remains steady
A large and uncontrolled forest fire in Gohrischheide, located at the border between Saxony and Brandenburg, continues to pose a significant threat to both regions. The fire, exacerbated by heat, drought, and strong winds, has grown to cover over 1,000 hectares, according to reports from firefighters on the ground.
The smoke from the fire has been detected in Berlin and Potsdam, but forest fire expert Raimund Engel, the forest fire protection officer in Brandenburg, maintains that the distance is not unusual in this context. The districts affected by the increased smoke and odor nuisance include Elbe-Elster, Dahme-Spreewald, Oberspreewald-Lausitz, and Teltow-Fläming. However, no new districts have been mentioned as being affected.
The wind is blowing towards Brandenburg from the forest fire location, and the Lausitz control center had previously warned of increased smoke and odor nuisance due to the fire and the wind in large parts of Brandenburg. No new warnings or statements were issued by the control center in the latest update.
The fire is threatening several communities, prompting partial evacuations. The village of Wülknitz has partially evacuated about 100 residents, including people from a facility for severely disabled individuals. Additionally, 269 residents of Neudorf have been ordered to evacuate as the flames approach their community.
Two firefighters have been seriously injured during firefighting efforts, and emergency crews are using helicopters equipped with thermal imaging to identify and target hotspots. The fire is particularly challenging to combat due to parts of it being on a former military training area, which poses risks from unexploded ammunition.
Despite the ongoing efforts of over 1,000 firefighters, the situation remains critical and fluctuates due to wind shifts. Controlling the fire fully may take time due to the challenging terrain and weather conditions. The forecast remains concerning as conditions such as high temperatures and dry weather continue to worsen fire behavior.
Since the start of the forest fire season in March, there have been over 230 fires in Brandenburg, more than in the entire previous year. However, Brandenburg's forest fire protection officer, Raimund Engel, stated that no forests in Brandenburg are currently affected. The city of Bad Liebenwerda, located in the district of Elbe-Elster, was not specifically mentioned as being affected by the forest fire risk.
References: [1] German Press Agency (2023). Uncontrolled Forest Fire Ravages Gohrischheide Area. Retrieved from https://www.dpa.de/ [2] Berliner Morgenpost (2023). Partial Evacuations in Brandenburg and Saxony Due to Forest Fire. Retrieved from https://www.berliner-morgenpost.de/ [3] Deutsche Welle (2023). Serious Injuries Reported as Forest Fire Rages in Eastern Germany. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/
- The community policy in affected districts, such as Elbe-Elster, Dahme-Spreewald, Oberspreewald-Lausitz, and Teltow-Fläming, needs to address the issues of smoke and odor nuisance caused by the ongoing forest fire.
- Environmental-science experts have emphasized the impact of climate-change conditions on the behavior and spread of forest fires, given the current blaze in Gohrischheide.
- The general-news media outlets have been reporting on both the progress of the forest fire and associated accidents, like the injuries sustained by two firefighters during the firefighting efforts.
- In response to the forest fire and future weather-forecasting, vocational training programs focused on weather-forecasting and fire management are gaining importance in both Brandenburg and Saxony to ensure better preparedness for similar events in the future.
