The forest fire at Jüterbog still cannot be stopped. Due to stronger winds, the fire is now blazing over an area of more than 150 hectares. At the same time, a new fire broke out in another nearby forest.
- Fire in ammunition-loaded forest near Jüterbog is expanding
- 150 hectares are now affected
- The planned use of firefighting tanks is dispensed with
- Towns are not threatened
- Rescue workers expect the operation to last for days
- Another piece of forest caught fire
The forest fire that broke out on a military training area near Jüterbog (Teltow-Fläming) on Wednesday evening spread massively on Saturday. The area had grown to 150 hectares by the evening, as the fire brigade control center told rbb. That is almost five times as much as on Friday evening. According to the operations management, the reason is mainly the windy weather. It further fueled the embers.
Support came from the north of the district on Saturday. The fire brigade was deployed with a total of up to 32 vehicles. A drone that can measure temperatures is also used to follow the development of the fire. It delivered an up-to-date picture every hour on Saturday. In the meantime, the operations management had considered using firefighting and armored recovery vehicles. However, this was not implemented.
Risk of forest fires at a high level – experts call for faster measures
The second highest level of forest fire danger has been in effect throughout Brandenburg since Wednesday. Pierre Ibisch from the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development warns of a dangerous combination of dry soil and fire-prone trees.more
Fire brigade assumes long-term use
Since no towns are in danger, the use of firefighting aircraft will no longer be continued, said the deputy mayor of Jüterbog, Christiane Lindner-Klopsch. On the one hand, this is a question of costs: the use of the aircraft costs around 3,800 euros per hour. On the other hand, the area is so large that the planes are no longer effective, said Lindner-Klopsch. “It would be extinguished in one place and the fires would spread in another place.” That is why the operations management decided to let the fires run towards protective strips and extinguish them there.
Because the site is heavily loaded with ammunition, the emergency services cannot drive close to the source of the fire, but have to stay on the ammunition-free routes. The aim is to prevent the fire from spreading to other areas by setting several bolts, said a spokesman for the fire brigade.
The operation is expected to end temporarily during the night on Sunday when the temperatures drop and the humidity rises. The situation must then be reassessed on Sunday morning. If there is no rain, the fire brigade estimates that they will be busy fighting the fire for the whole of next week.
Yet another forest is burning
Meanwhile, a second piece of forest caught fire near Jüterbog on Saturday. As a fire brigade spokesman told rbb, there are several places on fire in an area in the Zinna forest between Kolzenburg and Zinna monastery. The fire there is therefore much smaller and covers an area of 3.65 hectares.
The Zinna forest was also loaded with ammunition, the spokesman said. However, it is possible to drive closer to the fire sites on paved paths. One is therefore optimistic that the fire can be extinguished in the course of Saturday evening.
Biggest forest fire of the year so far
Of the around 70 fires so far this year, the current fire at Jüterbog is the biggest.
District Administrator Kornelia Wehlan (left) demanded that the state of Brandenburg assume the costs of the operation. It must be ensured that the state, as legislator, assumes financial responsibility, she told rbb on Friday afternoon. “Fighting forest fires shouldn’t be a question of costs. It’s about good, about natural space and, above all, about people,” she said. In the case of the forest fire in Jüterbog, a quick and early decision by the district about the scope of the operation was necessary, now you shouldn’t be left with the costs, emphasized the district administrator.
The total costs of the fire service in the forest near Jüterbog cannot be quantified yet. However, it was done sparingly. The fire-fighting aircraft used on Thursday costs 3,600 euros per flight hour. “A machine from the Bundeswehr costs 32,000 euros per hour, one from the federal police costs 16,000 euros,” Wehlan explained.
A fire-fighting aircraft from the Harz supports the operation in Jüterbog
Broadcast: rbb24 Inforadio, June 2nd, 2023, 5:20 p.m
