Jena fire departments and catastrophe protection units also deployed in forest fires

Firefighters from Jena continue to support the large-scale firefighting operation at a forest fire near Saalfeld.

The Jena fire department is preparing for another operation on Sunday and Monday from 6 am to 8 pm. It is expected that 100 firefighters will be deployed in shifts as part of the "water" operation. The State Administration Office has already been informed in advance. The final deployment order is expected during the course of the day. It should be noted that the situation is developing dynamically and this will have an impact on the deployment.

Emergency services from Jena were already on site on Thursday: the Jena-Mitte and Lützeroda volunteer fire departments provided support with a total of 24 personnel and five vehicles. A so-called "water" emergency train was requested, which was put together from suitable vehicles especially for this purpose. The German Red Cross (DRK) and the Workers' Samaritan Federation (ASB) from Jena were or are also deployed.

Benjamin Koppe, Mayor and Head of Finance, Security and Citizen Services of the City of Jena, on the operation:

"The situation in the forest fire area near Gösselsdorf in the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt remains serious. Around 300 hectares of forest are currently burning and the fire is not yet under control. Around 250 firefighters from various regions of Thuringia are still in action. The technical operations command is currently based in the staff room of the Office for Civil Protection in Saalfeld. The staging area for the emergency services is located at the volunteer fire station in Schmiedefeld.

The water task force from Jena, a specialized civil protection unit, returned from deployment yesterday afternoon as planned. The emergency services were then supplied at the southern station and the vehicles were made ready for use again.

Today, Friday, a command vehicle and an ambulance from Jena will continue to provide support on site. Their deployment is expected to continue until the evening.

Further operations will be coordinated in close cooperation with the Thuringian State Administration Office. We act exclusively at the request of the responsible authorities and provide personnel and technical support as required.

If the situation changes at short notice or further action is required, the specialist fire department can react flexibly to the situation.

We would like to thank all of Jena's emergency services for their professional and reliable support, as well as the aid organizations involved, such as the German Red Cross and the Workers' Samaritan Federation. The logistical support on site also plays an important role. The cooperation worked well and is important for the further course of the operation."