Underground fire: Blaze in German lignite mine cannot be extinguished
Sparked by a forest fire, hardly any flames are visible above ground, yet underground it still smoulders on a former lignite site in Thuringia and could burn for years.
An underground blaze in a German lignite mine has proven difficult to extinguish, threatening surrounding areas. The fire ignited in a former lignite mining site in Thuringia last June, initially starting as a forest fire. Experts now expect it could take years to fully contain the underground smoulder. The coal deposits and remnants of an open-cast mine make extinguishing efforts challenging, as the blaze can spread unnoticed for long periods.
Officials are focusing on preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent woodland and meadow areas, widening the firebreak and employing sprinkler systems and drones for monitoring. Water-bombing helicopters have proven ineffective due to their inability to reach the underground fire. Authorities are developing a multi-month extinguishing and safety plan, aiming to minimize smoke and odor nuisances by covering the fire zone with a thick layer of soil to block oxygen supply.
This process requires substantial amounts of water and infrastructure, with construction projects planned for completion by November 2026 and January 2027. The fire's cause is still under investigation, but initial reports suggest contact between a high-voltage power line and a tree may have sparked the fire during a heatwave. Lignite mining operations in the region have ceased, and residents have expressed concerns about potential impacts on groundwater and health. Regular air quality monitoring has shown no abnormalities thus far.
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