Major fire on the Brocken Suspicion of arson confirmed
Over the weekend, emergency services fought tirelessly from the air and on the ground against the large fire on the Brocken mountain in Germany. Now that it is largely under control, the focus is shifting to investigating the cause.
08.09.2024, 21:16
dpa
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- The forest fire on the Brocken in the Harz National Park has been contained after three days thanks to a massive aerial firefighting operation.
- Now that it is largely under control, the investigation into the cause is coming into focus.
- Arson cannot be ruled out.
Long clouds of smoke on the Brocken, fire departments, airplanes and helicopters in constant use in the summer heat: emergency services on the ground and from the air have been battling a large forest fire on the highest mountain in the Harz Mountains throughout the weekend. Now that the fire has been prevented from spreading, the focus is on how the fire started and what role the deadwood played in fighting the fire.
Harz district fire chief Kai-Uwe Lohse believes it is possible that the fire was started deliberately. "Arson cannot be ruled out," Lohse told the German Press Agency. He pointed out that the fire had broken out in several places at the same time on Friday. The blazes had later merged to form a larger fire front.
On request, the police announced that an investigation into the fire had been initiated. However, further details on the cause of the fire would only be possible once the scene of the fire could be examined, they said.
Roland Pietsch, head of the Harz National Park, does not believe that the fire was caused by arson. "Due to the inaccessibility of the area, I think it is unlikely that fires could have been set in eight places in close chronological order," Pietsch told the German Press Agency.
Hoping for rain
The roar of fire-fighting helicopters could be heard repeatedly around the summit at the weekend, dropping water over the flames one after the other. Fire-fighting aircraft were also repeatedly on the move. On Saturday evening, the emergency services finally succeeded in preventing the fire from spreading.
The work was interrupted on Sunday night, but patrols were carried out. The aim was to extinguish the fire on Sunday to such an extent that only post-extinguishing work would be necessary, said Lohse.
On site, the emergency services were hoping for rain on Sunday evening. But doubts remained. It often rains in the western Harz, said the head of the crisis team, Immo Kramer, to dpa. "There's often not so much left in the eastern Harz."
Residents and restaurateurs help with supplies
The planes and helicopters are expected to remain in operation until Sunday evening. "Flights will continue until sunset," said Kramer. On Monday, emergency services on the ground could then search for pockets of embers in the fire area.
Kramer thanked the local population and restaurateurs who provided the emergency services with cakes and other food. The sympathy was great, said Kramer. The firefighters worked in shifts and were grateful for the support.
Two years ago, the district had declared a state of emergency due to a fire on the Brocken. Back then, it was exactly the same spot as now.
"Much of what we learned in 2022 has now been put into practice," said Saxony-Anhalt Forestry Minister Sven Schulze (CDU). The area now affected is larger than back then, but at the same time fewer personnel and more technology are being used. He thanked all those involved for their great efforts, said Schulze.
Debate about the cost of fire-fighting aircraft
Crisis team leader Kramer called for more commitment from the EU, the federal government and the federal states when it comes to purchasing fire-fighting aircraft in the coming years. "Such fires will also affect other regions in Germany," he said. We need to be prepared for this, he added, as the local authorities will not be able to refinance the costs on their own in the long term.
Discussions about deadwood are also continuing. According to fire experts, this is one of the reasons for the increased fire risk and more difficult firefighting. The Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection once again warned against careless handling of deadwood in forests. The association called for sensible area management in silviculture. This begins with sensible mapping, but the management and management of deadwood must also be improved, it said.
Standing deadwood is like fire flares, Kramer also said. The combination with the dry grass caused sparks to fly far and wide, so that new pockets of embers could be created again and again.
500 people brought to safety
The fire broke out on Friday on the Königsberg, a side peak of the Brocken, and spread over a length of around 1,000 meters. The area is currently closed to tourists.
On Friday afternoon, around 500 people were brought to safety from the Brocken in buses. According to the Harz district, they were hikers and sports enthusiasts. The path to the Brocken is one of the most popular hiking trails in the Harz National Park.
It was not the only fire to rage in Saxony-Anhalt at the weekend: near Oranienbaum in the east of the state, an area of 50 to 55 hectares was affected. A total of around 280 firefighters were on site, with firefighting helicopters also supporting the work. The forest fire broke out on Friday near federal road 107 and a residential area, as well as not far from an area contaminated with ammunition.