Giant forest fire near Erlangen: Fire brigade fights against the flames!

Giant forest fire near Erlangen: Fire brigade fights against the flames!

On Monday, a fire broke out in the Markwald in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, which quickly grew up to 7,500 square meters. According to Br.de it was a floor fire, the flames of which were maximum knee high. The emergency services, a total of around 100 firefighters, were on site with chopes and water backpacks and did not leave an inch unused.

A police helicopter supported the extinguishing measures from above, while the emergency services on the ground do everything they could to control the fire. Due to the wind, however, the fire area had expanded from an initial 2,000 square meters to the 7,500 square meters mentioned. Highly technological support also came from a drone that discovered embers with a thermal imaging camera on around 2,500 square meters. These also had to be extinguished, a work that should be completed by the evening.

challenges of fire fighting

The extinguishing work was also made easier by the support of local farmers who provided water deliveries. The extinguishing vehicles transported water from surrounding waters, while the helicopter stopped to draw extinguishing water from a pond and the Main-Donau Canal. This led to a short -term interruption of shipping.

Currently, the risk of forest fire is high in large parts of Bavaria, especially in northern Bavaria, as the German Weather Service (DWD) states. This situation makes the incident in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt all the more alarming. The expertise of lwf.bayern.de illustrates that in the coming years with an increase in the risk of forest fire due to climate change and extreme weather conditions.

The focus on prevention

Although forest fires in Bavaria played a subordinate role historically, the topic remains important. In the past 30 years there have been an average of 77 forest fires per year, with an average of 57.2 hectares affected. Future climate scenarios indicate that the risk of forest fire will increase in the summer months. Therefore, disaster protection is active in Bavaria and offers workshops to improve fire fighting.

Today's situation shows how important it is to inform the population about the risks and prevention measures. Because while in the past due to the moist climate, fewer forest fires occurred in Bavaria, the situation can change at any time. With the right sensitization and good knacks for prevention, such dangers could be better managed in the future.

The cause of the fire in this special case remains unclear. Nevertheless, it is clear that the thought of forest fires is not just an issue for the fire brigade, but for society as a whole. An attentive eye for our forest and its health can be crucial to react quickly and correctly in the next critical situation.