Firefighters battle stubborn forest fire on former coal mine near Meuselwitz as coal residues reignite flames

Fire progression

On Saturday afternoon, a forest fire ignited on a former open-cast coal mining site near Meuselwitz, in Thuringia's Altenburger Land district, close to the state borders with Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony. By Monday, the blaze had spread from an initial six hectares to eight hectares, according to the district authority. Officials maintained that the fire remained under control, even as it grew. As of early Tuesday, firefighters were still on scene with no immediate end to the operation in sight.

Firefighting challenges

Roughly 80 firefighters are tackling the flames, working in a shift system to relieve one another. Support has been brought in from neighboring districts. The terrain, scarred by historical mining activity, is difficult for firefighting vehicles to access. Complicating the effort, residual coal deposits in the ground continually reignite, creating persistent hotspots.

The fire is difficult to extinguish because the coal residues still in the ground repeatedly ignite new flames.

Smoke and public impact

Smoke development has varied in intensity. At one point, the plume was strong enough to drift as far as Leipzig. Light rain on Monday morning temporarily reduced the smoke, but the warning for residents remains in effect. People living nearby are advised to keep windows closed and switch off air conditioning. Police have closed roads and set up detours to ensure safety around the fire zone.

Investigation

The exact cause of the fire remains unclear. However, early findings indicate that trees near a high-voltage power line along a transmission route caught fire. Authorities are continuing their investigation.