The fire broke out on Sunday and was almost brought under control on Monday, but strong winds caused it to quickly rekindle and spread rapidly.
Strong firefighting forces from the Czech Republic and Germany have been battling the flames for the fourth day, in order to bring under control the fire raging in the national park “Bohemian Switzerland”, which is located on the border between the two countries.
The fire broke out on Sunday and was almost brought under control on Monday, but strong winds caused it to quickly rekindle and spread rapidly.
There have been no injuries so far, but at least 180 people have been forced to leave their homes in the nearby villages of Visoka Lipa and Mezna, while dozens of children from Germany were evacuated from a summer camp located near the forest on the Czech side of the border, the Associated Press.
Slovenia and Poland have sent one helicopter each and Italy is sending two firefighting planes to support the more than 400 firefighters involved in the firefighting effort on the Czech side.
However, the head of the Czech Fire Service said on Tuesday that he could not make an estimate of when the fire would be contained, according to Reuters.
The fire has caused thick smoke, which has reached as far as the capital Prague, about 100 kilometers south of the park, as reported by the BBC.
The large fire in the park is part of a very difficult summer for Europe in terms of fire protection.
According to the latest data from the Community’s Large Fire Recording System, by July 23 almost four times the area had been destroyed compared to the average of the previous 15 years, as climate change drastically increases the risk of phenomena such as heat waves and low humidity, which make forests more vulnerable.
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