Danger of forest fires in Brandenburg: Heat and drought threaten the forests!

Danger of forest fires in Brandenburg: Heat and drought threaten the forests!

It's getting hot in Germany, and not just because of the summer temperatures! The risk of forest fires is currently high, especially in regions like Brandenburg, where the drought in the topsoil is noticeably affecting. The division manager Cimolino recently commented on the dramatic situation in the “Rheinische Post”. Unfortunately, forecasts predict little rainfall until the end of the month while temperatures continue to rise. The fire service associations urgently draw attention to the need for bans on smoking, grilling and entering forest areas in order not to further aggravate the endangered situation. The recent forest fires, including in Lower Saxony (Goslar) and Brandenburg (Ostprignitz-Ruppin district), are a worrying sign of this development, as Deutschlandfunk reports.

Forest fires are still a serious issue in Germany, but the denominations also show positive aspects. There were 1,059 wildfires in 2023, a decrease of half compared to 2022. But even though the number of fires has fallen, the affected forest area of ​​1,240 hectares was above the long-term average of 710 hectares. This situation leads experts to predict an increasing risk of forest fires in the coming decades. Particularly in northern and eastern Germany, the conditions are ideal for burning disaster due to increasing dry and hot periods, as the Federal Environment Agency shows.

The effects of the fires

Not only do forest fires have an incalculable impact on nature, they also release significant emissions that affect human health, including fine dust and greenhouse gases. In 2022, an estimated 0.28 million tons of CO2 equivalents were emitted by forest fires. The damage caused by these fires is diverse: Germany lost 1.19 million euros financially last year due to forest fires. Forest ecosystems in particular suffer from the consequences; depending on the type and intensity of the fire, the roots and seeds can be severely damaged. A hard blow to nature that endangers the stability of forests, as Statista emphasizes.

Another alarming statistic is that no cause could be determined for 51% of fires in 2023. In fact, about 40% of these fires were due to human activity, particularly the irresponsible behavior of forest visitors and campers. Natural causes such as lightning, however, only played a minor role. Between May and July, the risk of forest fires was highest in 2023, which shows that correct behavior and compliance with the bans are of the utmost importance in these weeks.

Forest fires in a global context

A look beyond national borders makes it clear that forest fires are a global problem. Southern European countries, the USA and the Amazon region are particularly badly affected. In 2023, around 11.9 million hectares of forest area worldwide were destroyed by fires. It is no secret that the risk of forest fires continues to increase due to climate change, and Germany is not spared from this, as the reports repeatedly make clear.

In summary, there is a high risk of forest fires, especially in the dry times of the year. At both local and global levels, we must protect our forests and remain constantly aware of the risk of wildfires.