Forest fires 2023: Saxony-Anhalt is fighting the flames!

Forest fires 2023: Saxony-Anhalt is fighting the flames!

In Germany, the forest fire situation has eased significantly in 2023. While last year numerous areas still suffered, reported South German newspaper that the total number of forest fires fell to 563. This number is remarkably low compared to the 1,059 fires recorded in 2022. A hot, humid summer and frequent rainfall were the main reasons for this positive development.

Saxony-Anhalt was particularly affected in 2023, suffering losses with 39 fires on 39 hectares. But the state of Brandenburg also recorded the most fires this year: 211 incidents on 226 hectares. Thuringia had 34 fires covering 35 hectares. These declines are welcome news, considering that 2022 was one of the three busiest years for wildfires in the last 20 years, with 507 fires affecting over 1,410 hectares, according to the report Brandenburg Forest analyzed.

Insights from the data

Although the 2023 wildfire statistics provide encouraging figures, this makes it clear Federal Environment Agency that many causes of fires are of human origin. In around 51 percent of the fires, no exact cause could be determined, but human activity was found to be responsible in around 40 percent of the cases. Careless behavior was the reason for 54 percent of negligently caused fires. What is interesting is that natural triggers such as lightning were only responsible for 2.5 percent of the incidents.

Overall, there was a significant decrease in the affected area over the year in 2023, which shrank to approximately 334 hectares. That's about the size of Central Park in New York. The high number of fires and the area burned were below the annual averages since 1991. A notable point is that almost half of all fires occurred in the months of May and August. This is consistent with predictions of increasing wildfire risk in the coming decades due to higher temperatures and low rainfall.

Preventive measures and perspectives

In order to reduce the risk of forest fires, it is recommended to convert conifer monocultures into mixed forests with a high proportion of hardwood. In addition, experts warn that the stability and vitality of forest ecosystems are influenced by factors such as the duration and intensity of fires. As a result of these developments, measures to reforest and maintain forests are increasingly coming into the focus of forestry policy.

Overall, the 2023 forest fire statistics show that a good hand in weather conditions has helped reduce forest fires, but people remain the decisive factor in avoiding future fires like those in 2022. With a clever combination of favorable conditions and vigilant management of the forests, the challenges of the coming years could be overcome.