District forester: damage in the Gohrischheide is "apocalyptic"

After the devastating forest fire in the Gohrischheide in northern Saxony, it could take many years for all the animals and plants to re-establish themselves. "The damage is apocalyptic, I would say", said district forester Stefan Müller from Zeithain.

Now we have to see how nature develops. Initially, "pioneer grasses" and "pioneer trees" are settling in, Müller explained. "It will continue. It's just that the clock has been turned back 35 years, especially in this area."

On Friday, the district forester led a tour through an area where a full-scale fire had raged from the ground to the treetops at the beginning of July. It could no longer be extinguished using conventional means, said Müller.

Insects didn't stand a chance

Among the animals, the fire particularly affected the insects in the forest. "The insect species were simply unable to flee so quickly, they fell victim to the fire in their entirety," said the district forester.

"Birds were able to fly away. Of course they want to come back here, but they only come here when there is food available. The food base has been taken away from them and will only be repopulated in the next few years. Only then will the birdlife that we had before return."

"The forest in this area in particular is between 30 and 35 years old. And it will take just as long for these species to return," said Müller. At the same time, it will be a different ecosystem in the future. Therefore, the development must be closely monitored.

Burnt trees could fall onto paths

In the next few weeks, the aim in the forest fire area will be to clear paths again. There are burnt trees everywhere that could topple over at any time. "Over the next few weeks, our focus will be on maintaining or restoring the emergency and rescue routes for the emergency services," said Müller.

The forest fire in Gohrischheide broke out on July 1 for unknown reasons. Hundreds of firefighters battled the flames for days. The forestry administration classified the fire as the largest forest fire in Saxony in recent decades. Around 2,400 hectares and thus more than three quarters of the Gohrischheide are said to have been affected.