Brandenburg's forests in danger: fire brigade fights against flames!

Brandenburg's forests in danger: fire brigade fights against flames!

Treuenbrietzen, Deutschland - The risk of forest fire in Brandenburg remains tense, but under control. According to Tagesspiegel are still active in the forests of Treuenbrietzen and Kleinbahren, but the situation has not been active since Tuesday evening changed. This assessment comes from forest fire protection officer Raimund Engel, which gives deep insight into the current situation.

The fire brigade is currently in constant use to monitor the existing fires and equip itself on possible new ones. High temperatures in the region could revive embers. There is also the possibility that a fire from the Gohrischheide in the Meißen district, Saxony, will spread to the Brandenburg area. This ensures additional alert and the fire brigade has strengthened its strength accordingly. However, specific measures to combat new fires are not yet in sight, according to the statement of Stern .

forest fire risks in climate change

The rising temperatures and the associated long dry periods are not only a regional problem, but also result from climate change that leads to drought in Germany and considerably stresses the forests. In 2022 we experienced an alarming increase in forest fires, similar to in 2019, as around 2700 hectares of forest were on fire. According to the Tagesschau not only damage the forests, but also releases considerable quantities of greenhouse gases such as CO2, which is strong in one area influenced.

An effective action concept for dealing with forest fires is developed as part of the Waldbrand-Klima-Resilience (WKR) research project. The Freiburg forestry and research institute works closely with the European Forest Institute to make progress in forest fire management. Due to their structure, pine monocultures are particularly susceptible and have a higher fire risk than natural mixed forests.

In addition, it is recommended to use modern technologies such as satellite images, drones and terrestrial sensors in order to identify forest fires at an early stage. In Germany, it is mainly human actions that lead to such fires - 96 percent, often through negligence or even arson. Therefore, the preventive work of the fire brigade and foresters is just as important as the responsible behavior of each individual.

The change of drought and heat is not only a challenge for forest fire management, but also for all of us when it comes to the health of our forests.