Pirna (dpa / sn) - The district office in Pirna has warned of false reports in connection with the forest fire in the rear part of Saxon Switzerland. Specifically, it is about allegations that residential buildings would have to be evacuated. The authorities said on Wednesday afternoon that no evacuation was required. The situation in the fire areas remains tense, but is not out of control. The population was asked not to spread false reports any further.
Meanwhile, the tourism industry is concerned about cancellations and early departures from holidaymakers. The Saxon Switzerland Tourism Association made it clear on Wednesday that only a small part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains was affected by the immediate effects. It is true that the forest in the entire Saxon Switzerland may not be entered at the moment. But almost all leisure facilities remained open.
Tino Richter, Managing Director of the Saxon Switzerland Tourism Association, recommended using the days until the entry ban was lifted to visit one of the many sights. Trips on steamships and boats on the Elbe are just as possible as bike tours on the Elbe Cycle Path, a visit to the Rathen rock stage or Königstein Fortress. There are also castles and palaces in the area that are worth a visit, he said on request.
Hotelier Uwe Henkenjohann, who runs several facilities in Saxon Switzerland, made an urgent appeal to the public on Wednesday. It would be devastating if, after the catastrophic fire, a "cancellation catastrophe" were to break out in the region. After two years of Corona, there was “the first tender seedlings of hope”. "Please don't let us down now, when the need is growing again, is my appeal to the many guests who have already booked from all over Germany and who are still longing for it," said Henkenjohann.
