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

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

Sachsen-Anhalt, Deutschland - In Germany, the Situation of the forest fires in 2023 has been considerably relaxed. While numerous areas still suffered in the previous year, the Süddeutsche Zeitung Forest fires sank to 563. This number is remarkably low compared to the 1,059 fires registered in 2022. A damp hedgehears and frequent rainfall were the main reasons for this positive development.

was particularly affected in 2023 Saxony-Anhalt, which had to insert the losses with 39 fires to 39 hectares. But the state of Brandenburg also found most of the fires in the current year: 211 incidents on 226 hectares. Thuringia brought it to 34 fires that stretched over 35 hectares. These declines are gratifying messages, considering that 2022 was one of the three most forest-burning years of the past 20 years, with 507 fires and an affected area of ​​over 1,410 hectares, such as the Forst Brandenburg analyzed.

insights from the data

Although the forest fire statistics 2023 delivers encouraging numbers, the Federal Environment Agency that there are many causes of fires of human origin. In about 51 percent of the fires, no exact cause could be determined, but human action was responsible in about 40 percent of the cases. The reason for 54 percent of negligent fires was careless. It is interesting that natural triggers such as lightning strike were only responsible for 2.5 percent of the incidents.

In total, there was a significant decline in the affected area in 2023 over the course of the year, which shrank to about 334 hectares. This is roughly as large as the Central Park in New York. The high number of fires and the burned areas have been below the annual average values ​​since 1991. A remarkable point is that almost half of all fires took place in May and August. This agrees with the forecasts that affect an increasing risk of forest fire in the coming decades due to higher temperatures and low rainfall.

preventive measures and perspectives

In order to reduce the risk of forest fire, it is recommended to convert needle tree monocultures into mixed forests with a high proportion of hardwood. In addition, experts warn that the stability and vitality of the forest ecosystems are influenced by factors such as the duration and intensity of the fires. Measures to reforest and maintain the forests are increasingly becoming the field of vision of forest policy through these developments.

Overall, the forest fire statistics 2023 show that a good hand has contributed to the weather conditions to reduce forest fires, but the person remains the decisive factor to avoid future fires such as 2022. With a clever combination of favorable conditions and a watchful handling of the forests, the challenges of the coming years could be overcome.