Extremely high risk of forest fire in the Havelland: Caution is required!

Extremely high risk of forest fire in the Havelland: Caution is required!

Oder-Spree, Deutschland - The risk of forest fire in Brandenburg has risen sharply in the past few days and causes great concerns among the residents. The Hovelland district in particular stands out, because here the highest risk level (level 5) applies. According to Nordkurier , there are also five other counties, including Barnim and Märkisch-Oderland, the second highest risk level (level 4). Security is going on and the population is urgently warned to be particularly careful.

The weather forecast for the next few days is increasing these worries: on Saturday we have hot temperatures between 27 and 31 degrees. A Sunday with thunderstorms, heavy rain and possibly even hail could then bring a short -term setback before it becomes drier again on Monday. In this context, it should be mentioned that Brandenburg with a forest area of ​​around 1.1 million hectares (37 percent of the country area) has to pay special attention to the risk of forest fires, such as mleuv.brandenburg.de emphasized

Caution and prevention

Statistics are alarming: over 90 percent of all forest fires in Brandenburg are caused by human action, with arson and negligent behavior being the main causes. The Federal Environment Agency makes it clear that 54 percent of negligent fires are due to careless behavior of forest visitors or campers. This shows that every single responsibility is responsible when it comes to protecting our forests.

Under the strict forest law (paragraph 23), administrative offenses with fines of up to 20,000 euros can be punished - a serious reminder of how important it is to observe precautionary measures. These include, for example, the ban to make fire or smoke in the woods.

events of the past

The forest fire season could be particularly challenging this year. By the end of May, 125 forest fires in Brandenburg were registered. In comparison, Germany recorded a total of 1,059 fires in 2023, which represents a decline by half compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, Brandenburg was the most affected region with 251 fires. The largest fire was 765.2 hectares in the Jüterbog region, which makes up more than half of the entire forest fire area of ​​Germany, as can be seen from the data of the Federal Environment Agency Environmental Bundesamt.de .

The statistics indicate that the risk of forest fire will increase in the coming decades, mainly due to the changing climate with higher temperatures and lower rainfall. When designing future forest structures, it is recommended to convert monocultures in mixed forests with a high proportion of hardwood in order to reduce the susceptibility to fires.

How quickly the situation can tip over makes the current heat period clear. A good knack for fire prevention and a watchful eye on the surroundings can help protect our valuable forests. It is not only a question of laws and punishments, but also of responsibility towards nature and our community.