Bad Schandau (dpa/sn) - The situation with the forest fire in the rear part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains is relaxing and no longer requires as many firefighters as before. According to the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district office, the number of emergency services was reduced to around 370 on Tuesday. They would have fought the remaining embers. Unfortunately, the rain on Monday only touched the area. The authority pointed out that an entry ban for the forest in the fire area still applies. The federal highway 172 between Bad Schandau and the border crossing in Schmilka will remain closed.
On July 25, the flames spread from a fire in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park on the Czech side to the Saxon Switzerland National Park and devastated an area of around 150 hectares there.
