Status: 27.04.2022 00:38
Firefighters spent hours extinguishing a major fire on the Brocken in the Harz Mountains – by late evening the fire was finally under control. People who had to hold out at the summit were taken down the mountain in minibuses.
A major fire on the Brocken in the Harz National Park has largely been extinguished. The fire brigade ended their hour-long operation late in the evening. A spokesman for the fire brigade told the dpa news agency.
The visitors who had to wait on the Brocken because of the fire were brought down from the mountain in minibuses in the course of the evening. The fire site will be reassessed on Wednesday morning and, if necessary, extinguished, the spokesman said.
Fire on an area of about one hectare
According to the fire brigade, there was a fire in the national park over an area of about one hectare. The cause is still unclear. The operation of the Harz narrow-gauge railway was discontinued on Tuesday afternoon. The emergency services, material and fire-fighting water were brought as close as possible to the site by train. The two water wagons of the Harz narrow-gauge railway were also in use.
visitors safe
Numerous visitors were on the Brocken summit when the fire broke out. They had to hold out on the mountain and at the Schierke train station, as a spokeswoman for the Brockenbahn said.
The smoke pollution was initially too great to bring people down safely. Therefore, they were safely accommodated on the trains and provided with food and drinks. The 1141 meter high Brocken is the highest mountain in northern Germany.