Status: 09/04/2022 07:23 a.m
In the morning, too, the fire brigade continues to fight against a forest fire on the Brocken. The fire brigade is on a large scale in the Harz National Park. The summit of the Brocken is closed to visitors.
The forest fire on the Brocken is still not under control in the morning. The MDR reports, citing a spokesman for the fire brigade control center. According to him, an area of around 40 hectares is affected. That’s the equivalent of more than 50 soccer fields. The Harz National Park confirmed this magnitude. In the meantime, four fire-fighting helicopters are in use, including ones from Magdeburg, to fight the flames.
The spokeswoman for the city of Wernigerode, Ariane Hofmann, explained on Saturday evening that circular sprinklers and a forest fire team were also requested. The situation is unpredictable, said the head of the Harz National Park, Roland Pietsch, in the morning of the MDR. This is because the wind is picking up again. According to the head of the national park, however, there is no danger to built-up areas.
Plateau completely evacuated
Because of the heavy smoke, the authorities had the Brocken cleared. Tourists were brought down to the valley with the Brockenbahn, among other things. The narrow-gauge railway no longer runs on the plateau.
The fire on the Brocken broke out around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon and is classified as a major fire by the fire brigade.
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Note on the NINA app: Avoid Brocken and the surrounding area
The control center in the Harz Mountains sent danger information via the NINA warning app. Accordingly, the view in the area was clouded by the smoke, people should also keep windows and doors closed, switch off the air conditioning and – if they were outside – cover their mouth and nose with a cloth or mask.
Heavy forest fire already in mid-August
A forest fire at the foot of the 1,141 meter high Brocken near Schierke had already raged for several days in mid-August. According to the national park administration, 3.6 hectares of spruce forest were destroyed.
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