The forest fire near Jüterbog has spread to an area of 150 hectares. The danger for the fire brigade is great: there is ammunition in the ground.
Jüterborg – A fire broke out on Wednesday evening. The forest near Jüterbog in Brandenburg is still burning. Dense clouds of smoke rise over the area, and the extinguishing work is progressing slowly. In the meantime, an area of 150 hectares has been affected, compared to 45 hectares on Saturday morning.
Forest fire in Brandenburg spreads: ammunition in the ground – fire brigade does not get to the sources of the fire
"The fire is just getting bigger," says head of operations Rico Walentin of the Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung. The wind had risen, which worsened the situation.
The extinguishing work is difficult anyway, because there is live ammunition on the site. Danger of explosion! There is a fire on a former military training area of the German Armed Forces. Great danger for the emergency services, who cannot proceed as normal. They can hardly get close to the sources of the fire.
Fire at Jüterbog: Will tanks be used now?
Again and again, firefighting planes dropped water over the fire. But: "With firefighting aircraft, we no longer had the desired effect, it was not massive enough," says Valentin. The fire brigade would have needed more planes. With ten fire engines, the emergency services are currently keeping the fire under control from the side of the road. They are preparing for a long fight. "We do not expect a quick end," says a city spokeswoman for the German Press Agency.
Tanks could now help, with which the fire brigade would draw a swath into the forest. The authority is examining the use of firefighting and recovery vehicles, says the head of operations. But even with tanks, it would not be easy. There is ammunition everywhere, but the fire brigade does not know where exactly. Valentin hopes for calm and rain, but the weather forecast looks different. (moe)
