Aid continues to fight forest fires near Potsdam | TIME ONLINE

Potsdam (dpa) – The serious forest fire

at the junction of the Potsdam motorway near Fichtenwalde is indeed under control – but the situation remains fragile.

According to Raimund Engel, head of forest fire protection in Brandenburg, special attention needs to be paid to future development. "The wind will rise again in the morning and then we have to see how to coordinate the fire fighting," Engel said Friday at the RBB Inforadio.

Motorists must wait for long traffic jams because of the forest fire. On highways 9 and 10 there were closures because of the fire, on alternative roads it could be very busy. Rail traffic was not affected by the fire, said a spokesman for the company.

Firefighters had fought the flames all night. Above all, it was difficult for emergency services to be unable to enter the affected area because there was old ammunition in the ground, Engel said. "There was also the first information that he came here and there to detonations." So be careful. The safety of the aids goes from the front.

Firefighters make sure the fire is not spreading anymore. Among other things, a barrier along the Europa Bike Trail has been produced with a so-called carpet of foam. Support was provided Thursday night by helicopters from the Federal Police and the Bundeswehr. An initially planned evacuation of the village of Fichtenwalde was canceled Thursday night. "The danger is first banned," said Potsdam-Mittelmark District Deputy Administrator Christian Stein (CDU).

According to Engel, the fight against flames may require even more external help, for example from Berlin. At the moment, the Brandenburg forces were still sufficient, said Engel. "If we have a lot of fires, it will be tight," he added.

In addition to the major fire in the village of Fichtenwalde, the Brandenburg fire brigade also employs a large-scale fire on an old military training area near Jüterbog (Teltow-Fläming District ). By Thursday evening, about 160 acres of land had been burned. The forces were waiting for the flames to rage in the coming days. Because the fire zone is contaminated with ammunition residue, firefighters can not enter.

The Sauerland fire department is also fighting since Thursday afternoon against a forest fire between Altena and Iserlohn. The location is difficult to access, on a steep slope, said Märkischer Kreis chairman Hendrik Klein on Friday morning. Moreover, there is no way to get there. The darkness would have made the job even tougher Thursday night and would have first made it impossible to use a helicopter to strike. This should then be used on Friday probably.