Forest fire in Brandenburg: difficult conditions for emergency services – “detonations have already occurred”

Created: 2022-06-20 04:56

About 60 hectares of forest are in flames in the Brandenburg town of Treuenbrietzen.

© Joerg Carstensen/dpa

In Brandenburg, a forest fire broke out in an area suspected of being explosive ordnance.

According to the fire brigade, this makes extinguishing the fire more difficult. 

Potsdam/Treuenbrietzen – A forest fire broke out southwest of Berlin.

The fire in a forest near Treuenbrietzen (Brandenburg) had spread to around 60 hectares by the evening, reported the spokeswoman for the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, Andrea Metzler, on Friday evening (June 17).

The area corresponds to 84 soccer fields.

According to her, the fire brigade, police, army and technical relief organization (THW) were deployed with a total of 380 forces.

A massive cloud of smoke can be seen as far south as Brandenburg, said forest fire protection officer Raimund Engel.

The smoke could also be seen in Berlin.

Forest fire in Brandenburg: difficult conditions for emergency services

The use of the firefighters could be difficult because it is also an area in the suspected ordnance area, explained Engel.

"There have already been detonations." That's why the extinguishing work could only be done from the edge.

Engel assumes that the extinguishing work will continue on Saturday.

"One can only hope that the wind will calm down a bit."

Areas are affected where there was already a fire in 2018.

For Saturday, the forest fire protection officer Engel assumes the highest danger level 5 for most of the country.

It is not yet clear whether the situation will ease as a result of the thunderstorms forecast by the DWD.

Serious situation in southern Brandenburg: 60 hectares of forest burn - situation dynamic

Civil protection warned the population in the area around Treuenbrietzen, Linthe and Niemegk to keep windows and doors closed.

The district spokeswoman described the situation as dynamic.

"The wind is changing, it's very dry again," said Metzler.

So far, however, no towns are in danger, she emphasized.

The federal highway 102 was blocked because of the operation.

In 2018, flames raged in the wooded area in Treuenbrietzen for several days.

Around 400 hectares of forest were destroyed.

Because of the great fire, more than 500 people had to leave their villages.

(dpa/fmü)