Emergency services issue alert regarding Gohri wedding ceremonies
In the heart of Saxony, a significant forest fire broke out near a blasting site of the Saxon explosive ordnance disposal service on July 1, marking the largest wildfire in the region in recent decades. Spanning over approximately 2,400 hectares, the fire affected more than three-quarters of the Gohrischheide nature reserve, which has been a military area for decades and is still contaminated with ammunition in the ground.
The firefighting efforts were primarily led by nearly 500 to over 1,000 firefighters and emergency personnel, along with a state police helicopter equipped with thermal imaging to locate hotspots. The fire department in Zeithain laid several kilometers of hose lines in the battle against the flames. However, the German Armed Forces are not reported to have played a significant or direct role in extinguishing the Gohrischheide wildfire.
The location of the fire on a former military training ground complicated the operation due to the presence of unexploded munitions. Despite this, the five-member helicopter crew made 230 flights in the effort to extinguish the fire, dropping approximately one million liters of water on the area. The Zeithain fire department also dropped a similar amount of water on the fire-stricken region.
The weather played a crucial role in the extinguishing of the fire, with heavy rainfall helping to put out the flames. Raiko Riedel, deputy community fire chief of Zeithain, is overseeing the extensive cleanup work currently underway in Gohrischheide following the fire. The forest administration is still assessing the damage caused by the wildfire.
Despite the challenging circumstances, the fire in Gohrischheide has now been declared safe by the fire department in Zeithain. The community can breathe a sigh of relief as the massive cleanup and recovery efforts continue.
The international forest fire in Gohrischheide, Saxony, was a significant event that required the intervention of both local and emergency personnel. The science and environmental-science communities are equally interested in understanding the impact of the weather on the wildfire, as heavy rainfall played a crucial role in its extinguishing.
