A forest fire broke out in Brandenburg on Thursday, which will continue to spread over the weekend. The situation keeps getting worse. The fire department is now hoping for rain.
Heat and shifting winds have repeatedly aggravated the situation in the forest fire area in Saxony’s Gohrischheide on the border with Brandenburg on Monday. On one of the paths, the fire jumped north, said a spokeswoman for the Zeithain fire brigade of the German Press Agency.
The fire is now under control again thanks to the use of a fire-fighting helicopter. “The helicopters relaxed it a bit.” The area was partly used as a military training area and is contaminated with ammunition.
Fire development difficult to predict
The district office triggered a disaster warning when the fire spread to the road between Nieska and Lichtensee and spread west. It was possible to set up a bar and banish the danger for the Gröditz district of Spansberg. Because of the weather and the munitions-contaminated ground, it is difficult to predict the further course of development. “We hope that the rain announced for the night will not pass again and that the situation will relax,” said the fire department spokeswoman on Monday.
The major fire broke out in Gohrischheide last Thursday and spread towards Mühlberg (Brandenburg) on Friday. At times, more than 800 hectares were in flames, including around 500 hectares on the Saxon side.