In Brandenburg, 800 hectares of forest are now on fire. Several towns had to be evacuated. The fire was “not yet under control,” it said on Tuesday morning.
Cottbus – The fire in Brandenburg has spread massively due to flying sparks, reports rbb24.de. The forest and fields near Falkenberg/Elster in the Elbe-Elster district are on fire. An area of 800 hectares is now affected. The extent of the forest fire will only be explored in the course of Tuesday morning. Particularly sensitive: The area is partially “munitions loaded”.
Forest fire in Brandenburg: Fire “not yet under control”
The situation was “very tense,” said a spokesman for the fire brigade on Tuesday morning of the dpa news agency. The fire is “not yet under control”. The Kölsa settlement in the city of Falkenberg (Elster) was particularly affected, the spokesman said. The fire brigade was on site on Tuesday morning with 152 emergency services.
Forest fire near Falkenberg: people have to leave their homes
The fire broke out on Monday from “unexplained circumstances in the early afternoon and quickly developed into a major fire,” said the Elbe-Elster district. The district classified the fire as a major damage situation.
Fire in Brandenburg: rail traffic between Leipzig and Cottbus interrupted
The first residents of the Kölsa settlement in Falkenberg and Rehfeld had to leave their homes on Monday. 700 people were affected. Other towns would have to prepare to be evacuated. Seven firefighters were injured during the extinguishing work. Six injured had to be taken to a hospital. In addition, a piglet farm burned down in the area. According to a statement from the district, many animals have died.
Due to the forest fire in the Elbe-Elster district, Deutsche Bahn has interrupted rail traffic between Leipzig and Cottbus. An emergency bus service between Falkenberg/Elster and Torgau has been set up on the route, DB Regio Berlin-Brandenburg tweeted.
The forest fire in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park (Czech Republic) spread to the German side on Tuesday night (July 26). The flames are not under control. (ml with dpa material)
