Die mit einem großen Waldbrand am Brocken kämpfenden Einsatzkräfte hoffen auf einen Wetterwechsel, der ab dem späten Sonntagabend Regen bringen könnte. „Wir rechnen mit mehreren Tagen, hoffen aber, dass mit Änderung der Großwetterlage am Montag hier Schluss ist“, sagte der Kreisbrandmeister des Landkreises Harz, Kai-Uwe Lohse. Am Abend teilte er mit, die Lage sei inzwischen unter Kontrolle.
Der Deutsche Wetterdienst rechnet auch für Sonntag noch mit weiterhin sehr warmer Luft, die nach Sachsen-Anhalt strömt. Ab dem späten Sonntagabend gebe es von Westen her einsetzenden Starkregen oder Dauerregen. Dabei seien auch Unwetter mit mehr als 40 Litern Regen pro Quadratmeter nicht ausgeschlossen.
In der Nacht zu Sonntag wurden die Löscharbeiten unterbrochen, es fanden nach Angaben des Kreises lediglich Patrouillenfahrten statt. Ab dem Morgen seien Löschflugzeuge und Hubschrauber dann wieder im Einsatz.
Feuerwehr rechnet mit tagelangem Einsatz
Am Samstagabend traf auch ein zweiter Hubschrauber der Bundeswehr am Brocken ein. Für den Sonntag wird ein weiterer Bundeswehrhubschrauber erwartet. Voraussichtlich werde am Sonntag den ganzen Tag geflogen, sagte ein Sprecher der Stadt Wernigerode. Ab 8 Uhr sei das Maximum an Luftbrandbekämpfungsmitteln unterwegs, das sich über dem höchsten Gipfel Norddeutschlands koordinieren lasse. Dann sollen acht Hubschrauber und vier Flugzeuge im Einsatz sein.
Erstmals werde dem Löschwasser auch ein feuerhemmendes chemisches Mittel zugesetzt, sagte Kreisbrandmeister Lohse. Das soll die Wirkung verstärken. Es handele sich um eine deutschlandweite Premiere. Trotzdem stellt sich die Feuerwehr auf einen tagelangen Einsatz ein.
“We have managed to contain the fire by using a lot of manpower and technology,” said Harz district fire chief Kai-Uwe Lohse. “That means it is not spreading any further at the moment.” According to the Harz district, the fire is burning over a length of 1,000 meters on the Königsberg, a side hill of the Brocken.
Two years ago there was a fire at the same place
The fire broke out in several places on Friday. It is still unclear why. The fires later merged into a larger fire front. Two years ago, the Harz district declared a state of emergency due to a fire on the Brocken. It was the same place as now. It is the Königsberg, a side peak of the Brocken.
Operations manager Jerry Grunau told MDR: “Compared to two years ago, the situation is definitely more difficult and worse.” The situation is tense, Wernigerode's mayor Tobias Kascha told the broadcaster. The wind is making firefighting operations more difficult.
250 emergency personnel on site, 500 people brought to safety
According to the district, more than 250 personnel were deployed on Saturday, including four planes and three helicopters. Support also came from neighboring districts and federal states. The federal police sent the fuel logistics for the helicopters.
Help also came from other parts of the region. The Göttingen district provided support with filters and masks to protect the emergency services from smoke poisoning. The Salzland district also sent support. And the Harz National Park is continuing to work with heavy equipment on new paths and access roads, it was said after the last briefing in the early evening.
The entire Brocken area remains closed to civilians. This was announced by the districts of Goslar and Harz. The district called on people to keep roads and access routes around Schierke and the Brocken clear and not to hinder the emergency services. The Harz narrow-gauge railways announced that the route between Drei Annen Hohne and the Brocken was closed due to the forest fire.
On Friday afternoon, around 500 people were brought to safety from the Brocken by bus. They were hikers and athletes, said a district spokesman. The path to the Brocken is one of the most frequented hiking trails in the Harz National Park.
More fires in Saxony-Anhalt
The fire on the Brocken is not the only fire currently raging in Saxony-Anhalt: near Oranienbaum in the east of the state, an area of 50 to 55 hectares is affected, said district fire chief Peter von Geyso. Due to the freshening wind and the heat, the spread of the fire has not yet been completely stopped. A total of around 280 emergency services are on site, and two firefighting helicopters are also supporting the work. According to the district, almost 50,000 liters of water have been dropped from the helicopters so far on Saturday.
The fire also hit areas contaminated with munitions. According to the information, however, the spread was prevented. At midday, State Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang (CDU) took a look at the situation. She described the fire-fighting operations as challenging. The fire broke out on Friday near the federal highway 107 and a residential area. At the beginning, the residential area was also threatened.
Meanwhile, operations have resumed after a fire at the Altmark military training area. A tank infantry battalion is currently training, said Alexander Helle, the press officer of the Army Combat Training Center. The heath burned over a large area on Friday, with strong winds driving the fire. According to the press officer, the fire was caused by a type of smoke pot used to simulate the firing of a tank. This device became very hot and ignited the heath.
