Fire in the mountain forest in the Chiemgau Alps

A Challenging Mission at the Summit

A few months ago, there was a fire on the Saurüsselkopf near Ruhpolding. (File photo)

German Press Agency

There’s a fire in the Bavarian Alps—once again in the hard-to-reach summit area of the Saurüsselkopf. Emergency responders are trying to bring the flames under control, using helicopters, among other methods.

DPA

Today at 07:26

A fire has broken out in a hard-to-reach area near the summit of the Chiemgau Alps. The fire department launched a large-scale operation in the Hochwand area near the Lackenbergwand, according to the Traunstein District Fire Department Association. This morning, residents in the area around Unterwössen were also warned about heavy smoke.

“People are being asked to keep their windows and doors closed, turn off their ventilation and air conditioning systems, and avoid the area around the scene of the incident,” said a spokesperson for the district fire department association. When the alarm was raised on Wednesday evening, a distinct column of smoke was already visible near the summit at just under 1,000 meters above sea level.

At first, it was impossible to reliably estimate the exact size of the fire or to determine its cause. However, as of now, no one has been injured.

In general, the conditions at the time the fire broke out were similar to those of the fire at Saurüsselkopf near Ruhpolding in May, said the fire department spokesperson. That fire had subsequently spread and had been extremely difficult to contain. It was not until a month later that the operation was declared over.