Hundreds of hectares of forest will fall victim to flames in Saxony this year. Several major fires also challenge firefighters and rescue workers. Despite the rain, a residual danger remains.
Pirna (dpa/sn) - The very heavy rainfall at the end of the dry and hot summer has significantly reduced the risk of fire in Saxony's forests. "The soils are well saturated with water," says Renke Coordes, spokesman for the Sachsenforst state enterprise. Unlike in the previous weeks, the rain seeped in and did not run off immediately. "The great danger has passed." And the wildfire season ends in October. The automatic surveillance system with cameras that register smoke development and transmit it to control centers will be switched off.
Across the country, 175 small wildfires were reported by the end of September, affecting an area of 116 hectares. "The numbers can increase by the end of the year due to late reports or new fires," said Coordes. In addition, around 545 hectares were in flames during the major fires in Gohrischheide and around 115 hectares in the Saxon Switzerland National Park. A total of around 776 hectares fell victim to the flames. "It was a very strong wildfire year, comparable in number to 2018." At that time there were 188 fires, but the area was smaller at around 240 hectares. For 2021 there are significantly fewer, namely 30 forest fires with a total area of 2.9 hectares.
According to Coordes, around 60 percent of forest fires are caused by negligence: smoking, campfires or barbecues in the forest or cars with heated catalytic converters parked on dry vegetation. With an average of about 15 percent, it is intentional arson, as in the fire below the Bastei Bridge in mid-July. Four young men are suspected of smoking sisha outside the hiking trails and thus starting the fire.
And the major fire in Gohrischheide (Meissen district) at the end of June with damage in the tens of millions is also being determined. Authorities believe the fire was set intentionally, at different times, in different places and during the firefighting effort. According to Coordes, there is still a latent risk of forest fires. Leaves on the ground dried out on fine days from the sun and wind. "Even in winter, a discarded cigarette is enough."
