Bad Schandau (dpa/sn) – After the rains of the past few days, the forest can also be entered again in the former fire area of Saxon Switzerland from Saturday. The rain had led to a significant cooling of the soil, said the national park administration on Friday in Bad Schandau. On site, as well as during overflights by the state police and night-time drone control flights, no glowing nests could be found. All areas would continue to be controlled by a fire watch. “We are glad that the exhausting mission is now slowly coming to an end,” explained district fire chief Karsten Neumann.
This means that the emergency services can withdraw from the area after almost exactly a month, it said. Most of the material has been dismantled and waste has been removed from the forest. Bad Schandau’s Mayor Thomas Kunack spoke of an exceptional situation: “Fortunately, there were no major injuries or damage to the infrastructure or private property.” We are very grateful for the good cooperation between the various organizations.
Unfortunately, one had to realize that material was disappearing from the site. Kunack emphasized that he had absolutely no understanding of this, and in the long run it weakened the operational force for the next emergency. All resources still available on the premises, such as hoses, fire-fighting water basins and pumps, are owned by the fire brigade. Theft or damage endangers the operational capability and, in an emergency, leads to irresponsible damage.
“Even if it was probably the biggest forest fire in the Saxon Switzerland National Park to date, vacationers will only come across the burnt areas directly in a few places,” said the administration. Those familiar with Saxon Switzerland would know that the fires mainly occurred in the inaccessible core zone. “However, these areas still need their peace. Please comply with the rules and stay on the marked hiking trails.” Dead or burnt trees could fall over at any time.