Dhe major fire on the Brocken in the Harz Mountains is still not under control on the third day. That said a spokesman for the Harz district on Monday morning in Wernigerode. In some places, the fire is said to have spread further. In the morning, the district announced that the fire had not spread further during the night. The authorities therefore continue to assume a burning area totaling around 150 hectares (1.5 square kilometers). Fire-fighting planes and helicopters should take off in the morning.
To do this, the time window for the water drops would have to be coordinated, said the spokesman. Therefore, a second technical operations management from Goslar was set up. According to the district administration, the federal police and armed forces are supporting the refueling of aircraft with mobile filling stations. The Braunschweig fire brigade and Braunschweig airport refuel the fire-fighting aircraft.
The fire was discovered on Saturday around 2.30 p.m. on the so-called Goetheweg near the Goethebahnhof vantage point. The cause of the fire is still unclear. The Goetheweg to the Brocken is one of the most frequented hiking trails in the Harz National Park.
On Sunday, in addition to two Italian fire-fighting aircraft, five fire-fighting helicopters were also deployed. The district has declared a disaster. The authorities assume that the extinguishing work will continue for several days.