Forest fires in Brandenburg: Evacuation canceled, danger remains high

Forest fires in Brandenburg: Evacuation canceled, danger remains high

A worrying picture is emerging in Germany, where the forests of the federal states of Brandenburg and Saxony are particularly affected by devastating forest fires. In these dry and heated days the question arises: How safe are our forests? The situation is tense, but at least in the Elbe-Elster district, a slightly positive message can be recorded: a temporarily evacuated village has been released again. Nevertheless, the danger remains high, as [Deutschlandfunk] (https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/entwarungen-nach- several-waldbraenden-risk-freikoste-blibt-hoch-102.html) reports.

The fire brigade is fighting under difficult conditions, because undiscovered ordnance in the ground makes the extinguishing work extremely dangerous. The location in the district of Potsdam-Mittelmark seems to have stabilized, but one or the other flame still gives rise to concern. The German Weather Service continues to warn for large parts of Germany of high to very high forest fire.

Significant challenges for the emergency services

In the small town of Thale in the Harz, where a fire rages in difficult to access area, the emergency services are forced to use extinguishing aircraft. It becomes clear: the winter damage in many forests and the current heat contribute to the risk. The fire service team keeps an eye on the situation, the efforts are also considered in connection with the extreme drought and heat, which have been a serious problem for years. [SPIEGEL] (https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/hitze-welle-in-de-feuerwehr-kaempf-un-erschwert-waldbraende-a826-884a 4f87-ad4f-cb7bf81c025d) reports how quickly the situation can be changed, the weather conditions are in the eye keep.

The development of the risk of forest fire in Germany is not new. Between 1991 and 2017 there was a significant decline in the forest fire area, but weather -related risks remained the same in some regions or even increased. Brandenburg and adjacent areas are particularly affected by the risk, where the large forest areas will continue to pay special attention in the future. According to the Federal Environment Agency, forest fires are a rather marginally problem in most regions, but arise in the continental regions by various factors such as dry material and weather conditions.

the need for preventive measures

The causes of ignition for forest fires are often due to negligent actions or conscious arson. Real solutions require long -term prevention strategies. For example, modern technologies such as digital sensors are used, which enable faster information transmission. Classic preventive measures, such as the construction of wound strips or water withdrawal points, have their place and are necessary to master the growing challenges. In 2018 and 2019 there was a sudden increase in forest fires - a development that will not be foreseeable in the coming years.

The risk of forest fire in Germany is expressed with an index value on a 5-stage scale, which shows that a high risk level can still be expected in the future. The current situation illustrates the need for measures for better fire-fighting infrastructure and targeted evacuation of ordnance in order to be able to act quickly and effectively in an emergency.