There has been a fire in Saxon Switzerland for more than a week. Meanwhile, the fire is spreading through the forest floor. Again and again new embers glow. The authorities are hoping for rain to ease the situation.
With the forest fire in Saxon Switzerland, the situation has not eased in the second week. The fire breaks out again and again, said the spokesman for the district office of the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains, Thomas Kunz. With rising temperatures and drought, the formation of flames also increases. "We need rain to ease the situation," he said.
The firefighters continue to fight the embers and the fire that is crawling in the ground. Occasionally, columns of smoke rise from the ground or open flames arise, according to Kunz. In the wind, the embers can also spread quickly. To prevent this, barriers will continue to be erected in the ground between Winterberg and Zschand.
According to the information, 300 firefighters have been on duty since the morning, and around 550 are expected during the day. The focus of the work is on the Grenzweg to the Black Gorges, on the Richter Gorges and the Bärenfangmauern. In the northern area of the Kirnitzsch valley, water cannons from the police in Saxony and Bavaria are also used. They distribute water on the shoulders of the paths so that the embers don't spread as much.
The fire broke out in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park in the Czech Republic a week ago and then spread to the Saxon Switzerland National Park. According to the authorities, the forest fire in Bohemian Switzerland is under control.
