The forest fire near Rheinsberg in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district seems to be under control. The fire brigade announced early Friday morning that the situation had eased significantly around midnight, and that a security guard was now on duty. Individual remnants would still have to be deleted.
The embers hidden in the forest floor near Beelitz (Potsdam-Mittelmark district) had partially flared up again, it was said. The fire brigade was therefore moved out again shortly before one o’clock in the morning. Individual places distributed over the forest area were affected.
In Brandenburg, another forest fire broke out in Rheinsberg on Thursday. According to the first information from the fire brigade, around five hectares of forest were on fire. The police spoke of two to three hectares. In Beelitz, individual embers flared up again during the day. The situation is under control, said a police spokesman in the evening.
In Rheinsberg in the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin, the highest forest fire risk level 5 applies in addition to the district of Prignitz. A fire in the Schwanow district resulted in heavy smoke on Thursday.
The regional control center of the fire brigade issued a danger report. She called on residents in Rheinsberg and in Neuruppin to the south to keep windows and doors closed and to switch off ventilation and air conditioning. Fire brigades throughout the district are on duty, a spokesman said.
In addition to firefighters, police officers and employees of the regulatory office are on site, the police said. Some residents have had to evacuate their homes as a precaution. These are buildings that are in the immediate vicinity of the fire. The police initially did not assume that the flames could spread to the houses.
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Rheinsberg with almost 8000 inhabitants is located in the Rheinsberg Lake District in northern Brandenburg and is a popular holiday area.
The Lausitz control center reported further forest fire operations in the south of Brandenburg on Thursday afternoon and in the early evening on Twitter in Bad Liebenwerda, Herzberg (Elster) and in Mühlberg/Elbe.
Last weekend there were two forest fires in Treuenbrietzen and Beelitz (Potsdam-Mittelmark district) south of Berlin. Hundreds of firefighters, supported by Bundeswehr soldiers, were deployed. About 200 hectares were in flames at a time. Firefighters continue to monitor developments on site.
In Beelitz in particular, there is still no talk of 100 percent relaxation, said district spokesman Kai-Uwe Schwinzert on request. Two tank fire engines are still in use on site. Nests of embers hidden in the forest floor could be dangerous. “When it’s windy, they can flare up easily and start a fire,” Schwinzert said.
Later, the fire brigade was actually deployed again on the railway line between Beelitz-Heilstätten and Michendorf. As Deutsche Bahn announced via Twitter, the route for the RE7 was temporarily closed. A police spokesman said that individual embers had flared up again. The situation is under control, the spokesman said in the evening.
“The train service will be resumed and the replacement bus service will be discontinued,” said the railway. However, there could still be cancellations and delays.
