Forest fire in the Harz: Hundreds of firefighters are fighting the flames!

Forest fire in the Harz: Hundreds of firefighters are fighting the flames!

Hundreds of firefighters have been working for days to fight a stubborn forest fire in the Harz Mountains. The fire, which broke out on Sunday, June 22nd at around 6:08 p.m., is spreading between the Granetalsperre and Goslar. The fire has already covered an area of ​​around seven hectares, which is equivalent to around ten football fields. Weather conditions, such as strong winds, created additional challenges in extinguishing the fire in recent days. The use of a fire-fighting aircraft from the neighboring Harz district only had to be carried out sporadically due to adverse circumstances. Like the NDR reported, drones with thermal imaging cameras are available to help locate hidden embers.

Public safety is a priority

The security situation is serious. The affected forest area, including the areas of Königsberg, Nordberg and Steinberg, is closed to the public. This is done in order not to hinder the fire-fighting work and to protect the population from possible dangers such as falling trees or heavy vehicles. Firefighting continues with around 320 emergency services from the region. “There is a danger to the lives of the population,” said the emergency services, who urged people to avoid the closed areas News38 reported.

Fight against embers

The embers nests are hidden deep in the ground and reach up to 50 cm deep. It could take several days to completely extinguish the fire, so the emergency services are also working at reduced strength at night and using mobile lighting units. However, the weather conditions have changed to our advantage. Light rain at the start of extinguishing efforts and moderate winds could help bring the fire under better control. Nevertheless, there are warnings about a rise in temperatures, which could complicate firefighting efforts again.

View of forest fires in Germany

It was only in 2023 that a total of 1,059 forest fires were registered in Germany. This represents a decrease of around 50% compared to 2022. But the situation in the forests remains tense. Softwood stands in particular continue to be at risk - a fact that has come into greater focus in recent years. According to the Federal Environment Agency, there is a clear trend that the forest fire season has extended into late summer and autumn, which is increasing the pressure on rescue workers. In Brandenburg, for example, there have been over 150 forest fires since March, with more than 20 fires recorded last weekend alone.

The population is asked to carefully follow the authorities' recommendations. In this challenging situation, there remains hope for better weather and rapid progress in the fire-fighting work in order to soon restore peace in the Harz Mountains.