Dresden (dpa/sn) - Saxony's Minister of the Interior, Armin Schuster, wants to invest an additional 30 million euros in protection against forest fires. "By that I mean, for example, the purchase of three additional civil protection extinguishing trains for forest fires, then we would have a total of six - but also other special vehicles and special equipment," said the CDU politician of the "Sächsische Zeitung" (Saturday edition). He now wants to talk to the government factions about the plans.
Schuster wants large tank fire engines that can hold up to 10,000 liters of water, as well as very small, all-terrain fire engines that can also drive into topographically difficult areas. "In addition, we have to further improve the cooperation between ground and air units when it comes to equipment. We are glad that we will acquire three police helicopters capable of extinguishing fires in the next two years."
In addition, portable thermal imaging devices would be useful for the emergency services on the ground to combat embers that are up to half a meter deep in the ground. Currently, localization is only possible with police helicopters and thermal imaging cameras.
In the past few weeks, forest fires have broken out several times in areas that are difficult to access, such as the Saxon Switzerland National Park or near the spa town of Oybin in the Görlitz district. These had presented the emergency services with significant problems.
