Fight against two large forest fires in Brandenburg

Created: 06/20/2022, 08:45 am

By: Lukas Zigo

Two large forest fires in Brandenburg are spreading due to strong winds.

Rain in the morning now brings some relaxation for the emergency services.

Treuenbrietzen/Beelitz - In the fight against two large forest fires in Brandenburg, heavy rain on Monday morning (June 20, 2022) provided relief.

First, 135 hectares of forest burned at night near Treuenbrietzen - 80 kilometers southwest of Berlin, as local authorities reported.

Shortly after 7:00 a.m. the rain got heavier and heavier.

The rain radar also shows further rain and thunderstorms for the next few hours.

A firefighter protects himself from the heavy rain with his jacket.

In the fight against two large forest fires in Brandenburg, heavy rain provided relief early Monday morning.

© Annette Riedl/dpa

At the weekend, two large forest areas only about 20 kilometers apart burned near Treuenbrietzen and Beelitz (both in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district).

The clouds of smoke were so dense that, according to the fire brigade, the smell of fire could even be heard in Dresden, a good 100 kilometers further south.

Forest fires in Treuenbrietzen and Beelitz: 600 people had to be evacuated

On the night of Monday, 435 emergency services, especially the fire brigade, should be on site at the forest fire near Treuenbrietzen.

The fire had also spread to 200 hectares in Beelitz on Sunday.

Some streets were evacuated.

Fighting the flames is particularly difficult in the area.

This is the area of ​​a former blasting and training ground, on which ammunition is located.

As a result, firefighters cannot approach the fire directly.

Bundeswehr helicopters therefore took tens of thousands of liters of water from a nearby quarry pond during dozens of flights and extinguished the area from the air.

The fires broke out on Friday June 17th.

Changing winds caused the fire to spread rapidly.

600 people had to be evacuated.

(lz/dpa)