Raging Forest Fire Shifts towards Brandenburg - Gohrischheide Winds Change Direction
**Gohrischheide Forest Fire Continues to Rage, Approaching Brandenburg**
A large and critical forest fire in the Gohrischheide area, located on the border between Saxony and Brandenburg, has been ongoing since Tuesday, July 1st, 2025. The fire, estimated to cover around 2,100 hectares, is roughly equivalent to the size of the city of Chemnitz, highlighting its extensive scope.
The fire danger level in northern Saxony, including Gohrischheide, has reached the highest level of 5, causing significant concern. To combat the blaze, a large and coordinated force of firefighters and emergency services, including local fire departments, the Technical Relief Agency, Bundeswehr, police, and other emergency services, have been deployed.
Approximately 555 to 700 personnel are involved, supported by up to 140 vehicles. Multiple firefighting helicopters, including four from the German army, federal police, and state police, as well as a reconnaissance helicopter and a police water cannon, are deployed. A specialized vegetation firefighting unit from Mansfeld-Südharz (Saxony-Anhalt) and a firefighting robot from Brandenburg have also been called in.
The terrain poses challenges due to the presence of a former military training area, raising risks of undetonated ordnance detonating, requiring firefighters to work from vehicles and maintain safe distances.
Environmental conditions have been challenging, with warm temperatures and shifting winds contributing to volatility. The wind has carried smoke into Brandenburg and as far as Berlin, causing widespread smoke and odor disturbances. However, there is hope for mitigation as rain is forecasted for Monday and Tuesday, which could assist in controlling the fire.
Residents in certain areas have been affected by the fire. Around 45 residents from the village of Jacobsthal Bahnhof in the Saxon municipality of Zeithain were evacuated late on Friday evening. On Wednesday evening, around 100 people, including nursing home residents, had to leave their homes in the Wülknitz suburb of Heidehäuser.
Firefighting efforts are also focused on securing the road between Nieska and Heidehäuser. The Nina warning app issued a morning alert for increased smoke and odor pollution in several Brandenburg districts.
In a proactive measure, a military tank is planned to be deployed at the Zeithain barracks to widen an already cleared firebreak. As the fire continues to approach Kosilenzien, a suburb of Bad Liebenwerda in Brandenburg, firefighters and emergency services in Brandenburg are prepared for the possibility of the fire reigniting on their territory.
Specialists from Saxony-Anhalt have been requested to help combat the vegetation fire, and efforts are ongoing to control and eventually extinguish the fire. Continued monitoring and response efforts, coupled with favorable weather, are critical to mitigating the impact of the Gohrischheide wildfire.
Scientists Monday are closely monitoring weather patterns, with rain forecasted for the Gohrischheide area, hoping it could help quell the ongoing environmental-science crisis caused by the wildfire raging in the region. Perturbations in the weather, such as changes in wind direction or increases in temperature, could potentially fan the flames and further threaten nearby cities like Brandenburg.
