Status: 03.09.2022 7:38 p.m
Three weeks after a big fire, another forest fire broke out on the Brocken. The fire brigade is on a large scale in the Harz National Park. Tourists were evacuated.
The fire is not yet under control. The extent is also unclear, said a spokeswoman for the city of Wernigerode on Saturday evening to NDR Lower Saxony. Several fire spots could be seen from the air. The extinguishing work is difficult for the fire brigade given the impassable terrain. Around 150 forces were on site in the evening, said spokeswoman Ariane Hofmann. Two firefighting helicopters from Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony would have supported them from the air. Another federal police helicopter was also expected. The fire was reported on Saturday afternoon near the Goethe station vantage point.
Tourists have to leave Berg, hotel guests stay for the time being
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 tank wagons were then used to bring extinguishing water to the fire brigade. The guests of the Brocken Hotel were initially allowed to stay there. “But we keep a very close eye on how the situation is developing,” spokeswoman Hofmann told NDR. If necessary, they would also have to clear the chunk.
Note on the NINA app: Avoid Brocken and the surrounding area
The control center in the Harz Mountains meanwhile 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
On the mountain, which is popular with day trippers and hikers, there is a hotel and the Brocken railway station for the Harz narrow-gauge railways. A forest fire at the foot of the 1,141 meter high Brocken near Schierke had already raged for several days in mid-August.
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