Flames spread rapidly across steep, forested terrain, forcing a nationwide response and raising fears of a large-scale disaster similar to 2022.
A massive fire has broken out in the Czech Republic’s Czech Switzerland National Park, which began on Saturday, May 2. Hundreds of rescuers have been deployed to fight it.
In the night into Sunday, firefighters managed to prevent further spread of the flames, but have not yet been able to bring it fully under control.
On Sunday, at least 500 people from various regions, six helicopters and other specialized equipment were brought to bear in the fight against the fire. The fire has engulfed about 100 hectares.
Timeline of events and consequences
A heightened alert level has been implemented at the scene, allowing assistance from units from anywhere in the country to be mobilized.
Near the airport, large-volume reservoirs for helicopters are being prepared, which will fill water into special “Bambi” bags. Five vehicles took off around eight in the morning, a few more are expected by noon. A no-fly zone is in effect over the fire.
The fire is hampered by difficult-to-reach terrain.
Meteorologists warn of a fire risk until midnight from Sunday to Monday: after a spell of cold weather, with some night frosts, hot conditions have settled in, and precipitation has been scarce – rain is expected at the start of next week, which should reduce the risk.
The largest fire in the history of the Czech Republic also occurred in the Czech Switzerland National Park – in the summer of 2022. Then the fire spread over more than a thousand hectares. Six thousand firefighters with four hundred units of equipment fought the blaze for 21 days. Residents of some municipalities had to evacuate. The situation again demands attention, and rescuers continue to work on containing the fire and preventing its further spread.
The situation at the moment is under control thanks to the efforts of volunteers and professional units, but work to address the aftermath continues in order to fully subdue the blaze and prevent renewed threats to surrounding areas.