Forest fires in Brandenburg: village evacuated, fire brigade in continuous use!

Forest fires in Brandenburg: village evacuated, fire brigade in continuous use!

Kleinbahren, Deutschland - in Brandenburg there is an alarming risk of forest fire, and the fire brigade is in full commitment to fight the flames. A major fire was reported, especially in the Elbe-Elster district, on July 1, 2025. This is where forests burn on at least 13 hectares, which led to the evacuation of a nearby village. The emergency services have a tremendous effort to control the situation. According to Tagesschau.de , the major damage situation was proclaimed at 2 p.m. in Kleinbahren, while about 52 people had to leave their home.

But the residents could already return in the evening, around 8 p.m. The fire brigade has confirmed that the location is not in danger and the evacuation was primarily due to massive smoke development. Another fire at Treuenbrietzen, which is estimated to have an area of ​​22 hectares, is under control. Around 300 firefighters are on duty there to extinguish the fire, while the disaster protection situation was lifted, such as rbb24.de reported.

The causes and the danger situation

The Interior Minister René Wilke called for mindfulness, because the risk of forest fire in Brandenburg has risen drastically due to a lack of precipitation and a persistent drought. Brandenburg has the highest risk of forest fire in Germany, which is not least due to the widespread pine forests and the slightly sandy soils. Maz-online.de from March 1st to autumn and daily assessments of the danger situation are published.

The careful observation of air quality and the warnings of smoke are of great importance for the residents. A helicopter was requested for the extinguishing work, and the areas concerned must also be bypassed by far, as experts note. Two firefighters have already been injured in the extinguishing work, the bravery of the emergency services is admirable.

a look into the past

Unfortunately, forest fires in Brandenburg are not a new phenomenon. In the recent past, there have been dramatic scenarios, for example in June 2023, when a devastating fire at Jüterbog called for the forces over two weeks. Earlier fire events in 2022 and 2022 also set fire to large areas, with thousands of firefighters being in action. Historically, Brandenburg has to struggle with around 300,000 hectares of ammunition -contaminated forest areas, which makes the extinguishing work significantly more difficult and potentiates the danger.

The population is asked to follow all instructions from the emergency services and to keep windows and doors closed in the event of smoke development. The next few days continue to promise high temperatures and no rain - ideal conditions for the further distribution of the fire.