Extreme heat in Brandenburg: danger of forest fires and heat protection for homeless people

Extreme heat in Brandenburg: danger of forest fires and heat protection for homeless people

There are signs of danger in Brandenburg: The hot weather of the last few days has not only caused temperatures to skyrocket, but has also massively increased the risk of forest fires. The current status shows that the region can expect temperatures of up to 32 degrees next weekend, which will further increase the risk of forest fires. In fact, forest fire protection officer Raimund Engel predicted the highest danger level of 5 for Sunday, especially in the southern areas of Brandenburg. This adversity is compounded by the fact that there have already been 145 fires this forest fire season - significantly more than last year. Last weekend, for example, ten forest fires had to be extinguished, which kept the fire department busy. According to Berliner Zeitung, the forests are also literally drying out, which is already causing massive losses of vitality to many city trees in Brandenburg an der Havel.

But it's not just the forests that are struggling with the extreme conditions. In Berlin, meanwhile, initiatives are trying to protect people in the city. A new heat shelter in Schöneberg has been launched to offer homeless people a way to protect themselves from the oppressive heat. The reporter from Inforadio reports on the hard work of the BSR park cleaners, who are on duty outside despite the high temperatures. It is clear that the fight against the heat wave is a challenge in many areas.

The dangers of drought

The weather expert from the German Weather Service highlights that Brandenburg has received very little rain in spring since 1931. This drought not only has fatal effects on forests, but also on agriculture. Farmers are expecting crop losses, while the water supply of many crops is at risk. Quarks also reports that there is an urgent need to better manage forests to promote both biodiversity and carbon storage through lower management intensity.

A real dilemma: On the one hand, less cultivation could produce dead wood, which is fuel, but on the other hand, it stores water and carbon, which is good for the environment. To counteract the threats, there is the “Brennpunkt Wald” educational campaign, which lists simple rules for forest fire prevention. This includes, among other things, strict adherence to bans on smoking and grilling near forests, but also avoiding parking in dry grassy areas.

The debate about climate change and its consequences is now not only loud in Brandenburg, but is also noticeable. This makes it all the more important to take preventive measures as well as to raise awareness of the situation in nature.