Fast-moving wildfire near Dresden forces firefighters to deploy heavy air assets
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Firefighters battle wildfire in Gohrischheide as wind and heat hinder containment
ContinuationFast-moving wildfire near Dresden forces firefighters to deploy heavy air assets
A fast-moving wildfire in the Gohrischheide forest near Dresden forced firefighters to deploy heavy air assets on Sunday as flames advanced toward populated areas, authorities said. The blaze, which reignited late Saturday, has already scorched hundreds of hectares and prompted precautionary evacuations, the Saxony state fire service confirmed in its latest operational update .
Firefighters from Saxony and neighbouring states are battling the flames with 14 water-dropping helicopters and two Canadair aircraft, according to the state interior ministry. Ground crews supported by drones are working to secure containment lines along the southern and eastern flanks, where the fire is fanning out fastest due to dry pine stands and steady easterly winds. No injuries or structural damage have been reported, but the state environment agency has closed hiking trails in the 1,200-hectare Gohrischheide nature reserve and urged residents of nearby towns such as Bad Schandau and Rathen to keep windows closed and monitor official alerts.
The fire service first reported a rekindled blaze in the Gohrischheide late on Saturday evening, hours after a smaller outbreak was brought under control earlier in the week. Investigators have not yet determined the ignition source, though dry lightning and discarded glass have been cited as common triggers in the region’s recent spate of wildfires. The Gohrischheide, a popular hiking destination in Saxon Switzerland National Park, has seen three significant fires since May, burning a combined total of more than 1,800 hectares.
Meteorologists warned that extreme fire danger will persist across eastern Germany through Monday, with temperatures expected to top 34 °C and relative humidity below 25 %. The German Weather Service has placed the region under “very high” fire risk, the second-highest tier on its five-level scale. Firefighting commanders have requested additional federal reinforcements, including two more helicopters from Bavaria, to prevent the Gohrischheide fire from merging with a separate blaze 12 kilometres to the north that has already forced the evacuation of a holiday camp.
State premier Michael Kretschmer convened an emergency cabinet meeting Sunday afternoon and announced that the government will fast-track €3 million in emergency funds to bolster forest fire prevention measures, including the purchase of two new firefighting drones equipped with infrared sensors. “We are facing a summer of unprecedented risk,” Kretschmer said in a statement. “Every hectare saved now is a hectare that won’t burn tomorrow.” The premier urged landowners to clear deadwood and cut back undergrowth within 50 metres of residential areas before the next heatwave arrives.
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