Large clouds of smoke over BER: Flight operations temporarily disrupted after Wiesenfire

Large clouds of smoke over BER: Flight operations temporarily disrupted after Wiesenfire

On Saturday afternoon, July 5, 2025, a wildfire broke out in a meadow near the southern runway of Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER). The enormous cloud of smoke was visible for kilometers and meant that the southern runway had to be temporarily closed to air traffic; Currently all aircraft land exclusively via the northern runway. Despite this interruption, press spokesman Axel Schmidt announced that there were no significant delays or cancellations in flight operations. The airport fire brigade and emergency services from the surrounding communities are on site to control the situation and so far there is no danger to passengers and employees at BER. According to initial findings, there are no injuries reported, while the police are now investigating the cause of the fire, which is still unclear.

Just a few weeks ago, on June 22nd, there was another fire in the same region. At that time, a fire broke out in a grain field near the airport, affecting an area of ​​6,000 square meters. In addition, an adjacent forest of around 300 square meters burned. Here too, the cause was initially unclear, but the Lausitz regional control center reported dense clouds of smoke and once again emphasized the high risk of forest fires in the region due to the ongoing drought. Temperatures of almost 34 degrees and little precipitation have further exacerbated the situation.

Forest fire dangers in Brandenburg

During this time, the warning about fires in Brandenburg is progressing. This confirms that drought in particular is a serious problem Federal Environment Agency. Despite a significant decrease in forest fire area between 1991 and 2017, the danger is immense, especially in continental regions such as Brandenburg. Extreme weather conditions have led to a worrying increase in wildfires in recent years. There were numerous large fires in 2018 and 2019, which required the deployment of thousands of firefighters.

Important causes of ignition are often human error or arson, and weather conditions also play a decisive role in the start of fires. Although waste separation and strong fire protection measures are of great benefit in the region, recent events show that additional action is needed. Especially in the hot summer period, where high temperatures and little rain are the order of the day, it is important that prevention strategies are continuously improved to counteract the risk of fires.

As current events show, fighting fires is only successful as long as everyone involved is vigilant. With the help of the fire department and emergency services, the fire can be brought under control, but the next heat wave could become the next challenge. It is therefore all the more important that both the population and institutions actively participate in forest fire prevention.