Nature
Forest fires in Brandenburg: worry about embers
The lower part of the trees in Treuenbrietzen is charred black. Photo: Annette Riedl/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
After days of fighting the sea of flames, the large forest fires in Brandenburg have largely been extinguished. But deep in the forest floor there are still smoldering nests of embers lurking.
The devastating forest fires in Brandenburg near Beelitz and Treuenbrietzen have been extinguished – but the fire brigade must continue to keep the embers in the forest areas under control.
These sit up to 70 centimeters deep in the ground and could stay there for weeks, said the spokeswoman for the Potsdam Mittelmark district, Andrea Metzler. The fire could be reignited in dry and windy conditions, so firefighters would continue to monitor the situation closely.
On Monday, 230 firefighters had watered the fire areas. These should also stay the night, said Metzler in the evening. Temperatures should rise again on Tuesday.
The mayor of the city of Beelitz, Bernhard Knuth, announced that the fire was still under control. “Currently, the fire brigade, federal police and armed forces are in action to secure the extinguishing work beyond the night.”
An area the size of 300 soccer fields burned
At the weekend, two large forest areas in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, which are only about 20 kilometers apart, burned. Huge plumes of smoke hung over the area. With changing winds, the fires spread rapidly. About 200 hectares of forest burned in each of the two forest areas – each covering an area of almost 300 football pitches. After heavy rain fell on Monday morning, most of the fires were extinguished. Hundreds of residents who had been taken to safety as a precaution were able to return to their homes in the morning.
Up to 1,400 rescue workers were deployed to extinguish the fire. The Bundeswehr and the Federal Police supported the work with fire-fighting helicopters.