Magdeburg/Wernigerode (dpa/sa) - In view of the major fire on the Brocken, Saxony-Anhalt's CDU faction leader Guido Heuer has spoken out in favor of adapting the law on the Harz National Park. "It's very simple: the dead wood has to be removed from the forest," said Heuer on Monday in Magdeburg. According to Heuer, appropriate talks must now be held with the state of Lower Saxony and an agreement sought.
The Harz National Park is located in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It is characterized by dead spruces. Man-made monoculture is a fundamental problem in the approximately 250 square kilometers (25,000 hectares) of the national park. Around 80 percent of the tree population is spruce. Of these, almost 90 percent have died, said National Park Director Roland Pietsch recently.
A fire was discovered on Saturday afternoon on the Brocken near the Goethebahnhof vantage point. According to the Harz district, around 150 hectares (1.5 square kilometers) are affected. The cause of the fire is still unclear. The Goetheweg to the Brocken is one of the most frequented hiking trails in the Harz National Park.
On Sunday, in addition to two Italian fire-fighting aircraft, five fire-fighting helicopters were also deployed. The district of Harz has declared a disaster. The authorities assume that the extinguishing work will continue for several days.
