Wildfire on the Saurüsselkopf in Bavaria

Due to a forest fire on the Saurüsselkopf mountain near Ruhpolding, which is difficult to access, the Traunstein District Office declared a state of emergency on 4 May 2026. The surrounding Laubau drinking water protection area in particular is actively threatened by the fire. Numerous emergency services from the fire brigade, police and rescue service are fighting the fire on the ground and in the air with helicopters.

Current satellite and drone data

DLR's Centre for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) supports the authorities and emergency services involved in firefighting with up-to-date situation maps based on satellite and drone images. The ZKI map products provide a new perspective on the affected area and thus help to assess the danger situation. High-resolution satellite data was recorded and provided by European Space Imaging. A new drone system from the BRK's Research Unit is also in use, equipped with a Modular Aerial Camera System (MACS) from the DLR Institute of Space Research. The new camera technology makes it possible to integrate a live optical and thermal image directly from the drone into a digital situation picture. In combination with parallel mapping sections of the Copernicus EMS, a comprehensive visualisation of the situation based on remote sensing data is possible.

ZKI web application of the wildfire

The DLR-ZKI has provided a web viewer that gives emergency services, humanitarian actors and authorities access to current, in some cases high-resolution satellite images and drone images as well as additional analyses. The application is regularly updated with new data. Users from authorities or aid organisations with a legitimate interest are welcome to contact zki@dlr.de to gain access to the web viewer.