Danger of forest fires in Mansfeld-Südharz: Alert level 5 from July 2nd!

Danger of forest fires in Mansfeld-Südharz: Alert level 5 from July 2nd!

From July 2, 2025, the highest forest fire danger level of 5 will be declared in the Mansfeld-Südharz district. The State Forest Center announced this today. This decision, which attracts the attention of citizens, is made by the district administration and the warning app Biwapp. At danger level 5, entering the forest off the path is prohibited, except for certain groups, such as forest owners and people authorized to hunt. Representatives or those who work in the forest for professional reasons can also deviate from this regulation. This step illustrates the urgency of the situation, because on Monday the danger level for Mansfeld-Südharz was also raised to 4, after previously being at 3. MZ reports.

The assessments of the risk of forest fires are made in coordination with the German Weather Service (DWD), which provides daily forecasts. This is particularly relevant because in the drought year of 2018, danger level 4 was constant in the district for almost two months and level 5 was even reached on 39 days. In the current season there have already been seven smaller forest fires in the area of ​​responsibility of the Wippra Forestry Office, which destroyed a total of 2.9 hectares of forest. These fires occurred predominantly in the Harz district, but also occasionally in the Harz National Park.

Forest fire danger index and weather conditions

How can such dangers arise? The DWD's forest fire danger index (WBI) describes the meteorological potential for forest fire danger and is divided into five levels: from very low to very high danger. In recent years in particular, extreme weather conditions such as heat and drought have led to an increase in forest fires. Even though the area of ​​forest fires in Germany decreased significantly between 1991 and 2017, we experienced an increase in fire frequency again in 2018 and 2019, especially in the northeastern federal states Federal Environment Agency.

In Brandenburg and other continental regions, forest fires pose serious risks. The main causes are often negligent actions or even arson. The amount of combustible material and the existing weather also play a decisive role. Wind speed and fire extinguishing capacity are also important for successful firefighting. The flood protection measures and the training of the emergency services must be continuously optimized in order to act in a future-oriented manner.

Risk management and prevention measures

Improving forest fire prevention is essential, and the necessary know-how is supported by replacing modern infrastructure such as digital sensors. Such technologies make it possible to inform forest fire control centers promptly about possible dangers. The heart of the precautionary measures are wound strips and water extraction points, which are being further developed to offer better protection in the event of a fire DWD.

In conclusion, it remains to be said: It is up to each individual to treat the forests responsibly and take the warnings seriously. The forest is not only a habitat for many species, but also an important part of our cultural heritage. Please pay attention to the latest reports and adhere to the authorities' guidelines.