Forest fire spreads near Oybin: location cordoned off

Created: 08/05/2022Updated: 08/05/2022 14:31

A fire engine is parked on a street with its blue lights on.

© Patrick Seeger/dpa/symbol image

A forest fire is spreading uncontrollably from the spa town of Oybin in Saxony.

The emergency services do not come to the source of the fire and are waiting for a fire-fighting helicopter.

The place is locked down.

Oybin - Dense clouds of smoke near the Saxon spa town of Oybin: A forest fire broke out in the well-known holiday resort in the Görlitz district on Friday.

"We are currently unable to get to the source of the fire, the fire is spreading uncontrollably," said district fire chief Björn Mierisch.

The terrain is just as impassable and rocky as in Bad Schandau in the Saxon Switzerland National Park.

Hundreds of emergency services have been on duty there for almost two weeks because of a major fire.

A fire-fighting helicopter was requested in Oybin.

“It comes from Thuringia and as soon as it arrives we can start fighting the fire.

It's currently impossible from the ground," emphasized Mierisch.

The mountain rescue service was alarmed.

Experienced mountaineers brought pumps and hoses into the forest to set up a water supply.

Around 100 firefighters were on duty at noon, but reinforcements had already been requested.

The fire was reported around 10 a.m. at a level crossing.

"The wind then quickly carried the flames further and the dry softwood burns like tinder," explained the district fire chief.

In any case, the wind is currently causing the emergency services the greatest concern: as predicted, if it freshens up before the fire-fighting helicopter is deployed, the flames will always be followed.

The health resort was cordoned off in the morning and all access roads were blocked by the police.

Only residents and vacationers who already have accommodation come in.

"We don't need fire tourism here," emphasized Mierisch.

According to him, there is no danger to the population because the wind is blowing the flames away from the site.

The water supply for the fire-fighting operation is also a problem in Oybin.

"We just don't have the Elbe on our doorstep like in Bad Schandau".

But the comrades from the neighboring Czech Republic were on site and supported with fire engines.

dpa