Ticker about the forest fire in the Czech Republic and Saxony: Despite the rain, there is no relaxation in Saxon Switzerland

700 firefighters are currently fighting the fire in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. On Saturday they were reinforced by around 240 new emergency services. Five planes and eight helicopters will fight the fire, announced Lukáš Marvan, spokesman for the Ústí district fire brigade, on TV channel ČT. The aim of Saturday’s intervention was to reduce the fire area, i.e. to move from fire fighting to attacking. So far, the fire has been contained to an area of ​​about five by two kilometers.

Despite light rain, there is still no relief in sight from the forest fires in the Saxon Switzerland National Park. “It’s not enough,” said the spokesman for the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district, Thomas Kunz, on Saturday morning. On Friday evening, new fires were discovered and fought in the area of ​​the so-called Partschenhörner on the Czech border.

Reconnaissance flights should clarify on Saturday morning whether the mission was successful. According to Kunz, around 350 emergency services were out on Saturday morning to fight the fires. Two more helicopters were expected to extinguish the fire during the day, so that thirteen machines would then be in use. In addition, quads have arrived, with which the supply of the emergency services in the front areas can be carried out more easily and quickly.

Because of the high risk of forest fires, the district of North Saxony has imposed a ban on entering some of the forests in its area. The ban is intended to prevent further fires and thus relieve the fire brigade, the district administration said.

All areas of the district on the east side of the Elbe are affected, i.e. for areas of the communities of Arzberg and Beilrode, the city of Torgau with the district of Graditz, as well as for the city of Belgern-Schildau and the communities of Dreiheide, Elsnig, Trossin, Laußig and the city of Dommitzsch on the whole area. East of the Mulde and north of the B87, the ban also extends to the cities of Bad Düben, Eilenburg and Torgau and the communities of Doberschütz and Mockrehna.

Failure to comply with the ban can result in a fine of up to 2,500 euros. Excluded from the ban on entry are forest owners, property owners, hunters and people carrying out officially ordered or approved work.

Hundreds of firefighters in Saxon Switzerland have been fighting several forest fires for days. Many of the helpers are volunteers with volunteer fire brigades. MDR SACHSEN spoke to one of them.