Dresden (dpa/sn) – dead wood did not act as a fire accelerator in the fire in the Saxon Switzerland National Park in August 2022. That is the conclusion of a report presented by Environment and Forestry Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) on Tuesday after the cabinet meeting in Dresden. However, brushwood contributed to the fact that the ground fires lasted longer. Another finding was that the routes designated for rescue and firefighting were largely unobstructed and usable. Only at the Großer Zschand was a path closed as planned, but an alternative path was indicated. “In summary, the report states that under the same conditions, the course of fires in the national park and in managed forests would differ only slightly”.
While the flames were still raging in the rear part of Saxon Switzerland, a debate arose as to whether dead wood could have fueled the fire. “Objectivity was urgently needed here. That’s why we decided in the cabinet to have the course of the fire and the influence of dead wood scientifically analyzed,” said Günther. The report by Michael Müller, professor for forest protection at the Technical University of Dresden, strengthens the factual processing. “It was and is about protecting people, nature and property, learning from experience and, where necessary, acting in the interests of fire protection and forest fire prevention.”
For the national park, it is important to “let nature be nature,” said Günther. “This is not the basis for nature conservation, but also for sustainable tourism and community development. Local people benefit from this.” The report will be evaluated further and taken into account in the fire protection concept for the national park. We must continue to sensitize people to this topic. Because almost all forest fires are caused by people.
In this context, Müller recommended reviving forest fire education from the GDR era. At the same time, he dismissed the idea of ??thinning out the forest for fire protection. “We will not start sweeping the forest.” However, dangerous and endangered objects will have to be identified. If necessary, you have to let it burn a bit in the forest: “It’s not worth a hectare of forest to put firefighters in mortal danger.”
