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Forest fire in German national park not yet under control
A forest fire in Germany's Saxon Switzerland national park was still burning on Wednesday morning (July 27), the Anews reported, citing the DPA.
The blaze had not spread further but had not yet been brought completely under control, with the situation still tense in two of five fire areas, according to Thomas Kunz, a local authority spokesman for the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains.
"The area is rugged and not easy to reach," he said. Dead wood and adverse weather conditions were making it difficult to fight the fire, he said.
Overnight, 148 firefighters worked to stop the further spread of the blaze, which currently covers around 250 hectares, the report saod.
Kunz said that in the morning, a police helicopter is scheduled to examine the situation from the air, which will give firefighters an updated overview of the situation.
Five helicopters, including three from Germany's military the Bundeswehr, and hundreds of firefighters had been deployed to fight the flames by Tuesday evening.
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In several areas it was difficult to supply water and long hose lines had to be laid from the Elbe river and Kirnitzsch tributary. Water to fight the fires was also brought into the area by tanks.
The fire spread to Saxon Switzerland national park from the Bohemian Switzerland national park in neighbouring Czech Republic on Monday.
The report noted that tourists have been told to avoid the area and members of the public are not allowed to enter the forests in the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains until further notice. No residential areas were initially threatened.
Source: anews
