Suche
Mein Konto
Heat wave in the Harz: Fire brigade warns of devastating forest fires!
Heat in the Harz: Alarming danger of forest fires due to extreme temperatures and drought. Fire brigade warns of fireworks and open flames.
Heat wave in the Harz: Fire brigade warns of devastating forest fires!
The heat wave that is currently hitting all of Europe does not stop at Germany. Today, July 3, 2025, temperatures around 37 degrees are observed in the country, putting meteorologists on alert. In particular, the persistent drought and low rainfall in recent months have led to a worrying risk of forest fires, particularly in the Harz Mountains. [news38.de].
These alarming conditions have already led to the first forest fires in the Harz Mountains, which brought the local emergency command into action. On June 30th, fireworks were observed at the Teufelsmauer, which triggered several emergency calls due to clouds of smoke. Not only the fire department warns urgently against the use of open flames and fireworks in the region, but residents are also surprised at this insensitivity in times of acute fire danger.
Extreme weather conditions in Europe
The situation in Germany is part of a larger European problem. [fr.de]. In Italy, two people died due to the oppressive heat, while in France, a 10-year-old girl died in Versailles after suffering from heat discomfort. Germany itself recorded a heat record of 37.8 degrees in Kitzingen on July 2nd and will have to expect temperatures of up to 40 degrees today.
The extent of the crisis is also evident in the evacuations in connection with forest fires. Around 100 people were brought to safety in a facility for severely disabled people in Gohrischheide as the fire had spread to around 600 hectares of land. In Brandenburg, the risk of forest fires has already led to the evacuation of a district where residents were brought to safety at short notice.
Warnings and prevention measures
The authorities advise the population to find out about the current forest fire danger level and to act accordingly. zeit.de reports that there is an extremely high risk of forest fires in several federal states, including Brandenburg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt. The fire department warns urgently about the risk of fire from hot exhaust systems and urges people to adhere to smoking bans and to be careful when grilling.
The heat-related challenges not only affect safety, but also rail traffic, which suffers greatly from the heat in northern Germany. Cancellations and delays are now the order of the day, which leads to unrest among commuters.
With this cautionary message, it is critical that everyone takes responsibility to protect themselves and others. Nature and the regions associated with it are sensitive - let's treat them with care!