fires
Lieberoser Heide: The fire is out, embers continue to glow
A vehicle from the fire brigade drives through the forest near the scene. Photo: Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The fire in the Lieberoser Heide is out, but it continues to burn underground. The ember nests in the bog are still active. Why are bog fires difficult to extinguish?
About a week after the forest fire broke out in the Lieberoser Heide in Brandenburg, the fire is out.
Nests of embers continue to smolder in the soil of the moor area. The Dahme-Spreewald district lifted the major damage situation on Saturday. This ends the higher-level coordination and greatly reduces the number of emergency services.
The fire broke out on Monday at the former military training area. Old ammunition in the ground made it difficult for firefighters to respond because they could not enter the site.
The situation was stable, the district announced on the sixth day of use. The flames are out. The number of firefighters was sharply reduced to around 20, as the spokeswoman for the district said. According to the authorities, around 1,000 workers have been deployed since the fire broke out. The fire affected an area of 90 hectares – the size of about 125 football pitches.
Embers still active
“The embers will keep the fire brigade busy for the next few weeks,” said district fire chief Christian Liebe, according to the announcement. The small glowing nests in the moor are still active and the area is exposed to intense heat. It burns underground at a depth of 15 to 20 centimeters. According to Liebe, bog fires can hardly be extinguished. Therefore, drainage is hardly possible. “We can’t bring that much water here.”
District Administrator Stephan Loge (SPD) said: “With a view to the next major weather conditions, my concern for the Lieberose Heide is no less.” Severe drought can increase the risk of forest fires again.
Federal police and army helicopters were in action for days in the Lieberoser Heide north of Cottbus. Drones also searched for embers in the ground. Rain helped ease the situation.