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Danger of fire in the pine forest: smoldering fires threaten in secret!
Research shows that ground fires in pine forests can persist unnoticed for days. Fire management systems in Spree-Neiße in focus.
Danger of fire in the pine forest: smoldering fires threaten in secret!
Forests in Germany are increasingly in the public eye, especially when it comes to the topic of forest fires. Current studies show that fires in pine forests with sandy soils in particular can remain latent for dangerously long periods of time. Latest findings from researchers at the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg under the direction of Dr.-Ing. Andrea Klippel sheds light on this in detail. Antenna Thuringia reports that intense sunlight and light winds are capable of turning smoldering fires into destructive wildfires.
The aim of the research is large-scale fire tests that were carried out in Calvörde, Welzow and Nauen. These experiments are designed to investigate how vegetation fires develop under controlled conditions. Pine forests in Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg are particularly affected, as they are heavily impacted by longer dry periods and high temperatures. The current fire incident in Thuringia and neighboring federal states, which required the fire department to be deployed for days, underlines the explosiveness of this issue.
The TREEADS research project
The project, called TREEADS, which involves a total of 47 partners from 14 countries, aims to develop a system for the prevention, detection and control of vegetation fires. Based on the EU research program Horizon 2020, a particular focus is placed on the spread of ground fires such as Idw online describes in more detail. The data collected from the fire tests mentioned flows directly into the development of a comprehensive fire management system, which is important not only for national specialist committees, but also for fire departments for practical training measures.
It is alarming to know that ground fires can persist undetected and, when reignited, release harmful smoke gases, including carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. These aspects are less well known, but their relevance increases with the increase in extreme weather conditions.
Prevention through forest conversion
But how can you prevent forest fires? This is where forest conversion comes into play. The Forest knowledge highlights some effective prevention measures to significantly reduce the risk of forest fires. These include, among other things, forest fire barriers and protective strips that help prevent the spread of fires through both special trees and vegetation management.
The forest fire barriers, with a width of 100 to 300 meters, are of crucial importance. Covered with fire-retardant trees and bushes, they can contain the spread of flames. Protective strips, often 20 to 30 meters wide, ensure that flammable materials are removed and dry trees are harvested to prevent canopy ignition from ground fire.
The importance of these measures becomes particularly clear when one considers the incidents of last week, in which firefighters in Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony were deployed for up to several days to put out the fires. The combination of scientific research and good agricultural management can be instrumental in protecting the region's forests and minimizing the risk of fire.