In the fight against the forest fire in the Czech National Park Bohemian Switzerland, the number of firefighters deployed has been increased by 150 to around 900. "Our goal is to reduce the affected area as much as possible," said a spokesman for the emergency services on Monday on CT public television. The forest fire rages on around 1000 hectares. The Bohemian Switzerland National Park borders on Saxon Switzerland, where there are also fires.
The fire was still not under control a week after it broke out. The areas in the so-called deep valley, around the wing wall (Kridelni stena) and in the rocks above the border town of Hrensko, among other things, are problematic, the spokesman said. Around 250 firefighting vehicles, six helicopters and five firefighting planes were ready on the Czech side.
There was good news for the almost 100 residents of the municipality of Vysoka Lipa, who had been brought to safety from the approaching flames. They have since been able to return to their homes and apartments. There has not yet been a release for other evacuated places. In Hrensko there is growing concern that the summer season could be lost. Normally around 400,000 people annually take part in boat trips on the Kamnitz through the Edmundsklamm, a rocky gorge.
