Waldbrand in Thuringia: Kronacher fire brigade in constant use!

Waldbrand in Thuringia: Kronacher fire brigade in constant use!

On the Saalfeld Höhe in Thuringia, massive forest fires are currently raging, which have kept the emergency services off since Wednesday, July 6, 2025. Among the helpers are also those from the Kronach district that were sent on Thursday evening. At the beginning there were 92 fire brigade workers from Kronach. The number rose to 211 on Friday, and the total number of Sundays remains uncertain. A total of an average of 130 Kronacher helpers were deployed every day, such as [np-coburg.de] (https://www.np-coburg.de/inhalt.waldbrand-in-thueringen-kronacher-helfer-sind-off.

But the situation is serious, because hundreds of other emergency services not only fight the flames in Thuringia, but also on the border between Saxony and Brandenburg. The disaster alarm has already been proclaimed, which resulted in the evacuation of several districts. While the location on the Saalfeld height improved slightly at night, the fire remains out of control - a real monster that cannot be tamed. The fire area currently extends to about 250 hectares.

challenges of the fire brigade

A total of 562 emergency services were already on site in the early morning, which represents an increase of 40 forces compared to the previous evening. Reinforcement is urgently needed: fire trucks from Franconia are requested and more helpers are expected from Bavaria by Sunday. Support also comes from the air: a police helicopter is in use daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to fight the fire. This attempts to control the situation.

The forest fires in Germany are not just a local phenomenon. In recent years we have experienced a worrying increase, especially due to the extreme drought and heat periods that climate change brings. A look at historical data shows that Germany is increasingly affected by this natural disaster: In 2023, over 1,200 hectares of area were destroyed by foci, and in 2022 the number with over 3,000 hectares was the highest value in the past 30 years. (Statista.com)

The sad reality of the forest fires

The dangers that come from such fires are enormous. They not only gather areas, but also living things and habitats. Around 138 million hectares of trees were destroyed worldwide from 2001 to 2023. In the first half of 2023, almost 37,000 forest fires were counted in Brazil. The adjacent areas in Saxony and Brandenburg, where the Gohrischheide is also affected, show a shocking reality: the fire area was initially specified with 200 hectares, later corrected to around 1,000 hectares. There were over 300 emergency services in the fight against fire at night.

The current forest fires are not only a local problem in Thuringia, but also represent a far -reaching phenomenon in Germany, which is further tightened by climatic changes. Till in the back of the head we should ask ourselves what we can do to avoid such disasters. Nature responds to our actions and it is up to us to find a way to restore the balance.