Wünsdorf-Waldstadt | Brandenburg better equipped to fight forest fires

In the past, firefighters had to climb the fire watchtowers and observe the area with binoculars to detect forest fires early. Now, each of the six firefighters on a shift at the Southern Forest Fire Control Center in Wünsdorf-Waldstadt replaces twelve people on the watchtowers. The six now sit at their computers and monitor images from twelve cameras, assessing whether something is a cloud of smoke or just a dust cloud. Brandenburg has two such forest fire control centers, covering a good 95 percent of the forest area.

There have already been 183 forest fires in the state this year, but only a comparatively small area of ​​40 hectares has been affected, explained Brandenburg's forest fire commissioner, Raimund Engel , on Monday. "Early detection: Every minute counts," he said. The technology was copied in 1995 from a Mars probe that was supposed to analyze dust on the distant planet. Software was developed for this purpose that detects smoke. "Now you just have to be lucky that the fire departments can get close to the fire," Engel said.

Visiting are Interior Minister René Wilke (SPD), who is responsible for fire services, and Agriculture Minister Hanka Mittelstädt (SPD), who is responsible for forestry. They are not only inspecting the air-conditioned forest fire control center at the southern end of Wünsdorf-Waldstadt, but also, right next door, newly acquired special equipment used in forest fires. Among them is one of the 35 tank fire engines supplied by the Czech manufacturer Tatra, which, unlike conventional fire engines, can drive through difficult terrain. The highlight: At €380,000 each, they are even cheaper than the non-off-road models from Germany, which often cost €500,000 or more.

A huge problem in Brandenburg are the extensive old military training areas, which are contaminated with munitions. If a fire breaks out there, firefighters risk their lives when unexploded ordnance explodes beneath the old shells. The solution is an armored vehicle, also made in the Czech Republic. While the tires can burst, the armored cabin is reliably protected against the explosion of six kilograms of TNT. The four occupants are also shielded against toxic clouds and radioactive radiation. This allows the vehicle to be deployed even in the event of an accident at a chemical plant, as expert Norman Barth explains.

From this armored vehicle, two unmanned tracked vehicles can be controlled remotely at a distance of 500 to 1,000 meters. Both are manufactured in Croatia and are also armored. One tracked vehicle can cut a path through an area contaminated with munitions, while the other can use a grappling mechanism to fell trees or crush a car parked in its path—and also spray firefighting water. The state of Brandenburg invested €3.4 million in the construction of all three vehicles.

Previously, armored vehicles had to be requested from the Bundeswehr in emergency situations. However, it could take several days for them to be brought in on low-loader trucks from other German states. Now the fire department can act independently without delay. As always: every minute counts. "We're really proud that this worked out," says District Administrator Barth, pleased with the acquisition.

"Many hazardous situations are resource battles," says Heinz Rudolph, director of the State School and Technical Facility for Fire and Disaster Protection (LSTE). In addition to its traditional headquarters in Eisenhüttenstadt, the LSTE now has a branch in Wünsdorf-Waldstadt – and a warehouse has been built there to store everything needed for a resource battle. This would include tents, camp beds, food, bandages, and medicines in case the population of several villages has to be evacuated in the event of a large-scale forest fire. These items will be placed on the currently empty shelves. There is space for 1,700 full pallets.

In keeping with this, a refrigerated trailer for food and a trailer with mobile toilets and washing facilities are parked outside for inspection, as well as a tank for 12,000 liters of diesel fuel and two tanks for 15,000 liters of drinking water, which can be fed into the existing network or otherwise distributed to the public in an emergency.

Everything is stored roughly in the geographical center of Brandenburg, conveniently located to minimize travel distances. Construction of the warehouse took about a year and cost around 20 million euros. In addition, there are significant financial resources for the new operational technology.

"This largest investment in fire and disaster protection in decades has also set standards nationwide," says Interior Minister Wilke. "We can rightly be proud of that."