A forest fire in the Lieberoser Heide presents the fire brigade with challenges. The area is heavily contaminated by explosive ordnance from the Second World War, making extinguishing work dangerous. A new pump system is therefore to be used.
A forest fire has broken out in the Lieberoser Heide. According to the Brandenburg forest fire protection officer Raimund Engel, the fire blazes in an area of about ten hectares. The fire brigade is trying to contain the fire with a large contingent. So far, the fire has not spread, said Engel.
The work is made more difficult because the area is contaminated with ordnance. A police helicopter flies over the area with a thermal imaging camera to reconnoiter the situation. A new pump system should also be used to bring the water to the area.
There are currently 20 fire engines and around 80 emergency services on site to extinguish the fire. Two firefighting helicopters from the federal police are also in use, as reported by the RBB. At noon, the responsible district of Dahme-Spreewald identified a major damage situation. This allows additional emergency services to be called in.
At the end of June 2019, a fire raged on 100 hectares of the former military training area in the Lieberoser Heide. The risk of fires there remains high given the severe drought and current temperatures.
Brandenburg has the largest proportion of munitions contaminated areas in Germany. There are conversion areas - areas that are burdened by the withdrawal of Russian troops - as well as areas that were once used for military purposes. Ordnance from the Second World War is still suspected on 350,000 hectares.
