Danger of forest fires in Dresden: New measures for protection until September!

Danger of forest fires in Dresden: New measures for protection until September!

The city of Dresden is imposing strict rules in the forest due to the acute risk of forest fires. As dawo-dresden.de reports, the city issued a general decree on July 3, 2025, which will remain in force until September 30, 2025. With forest fire danger levels of 4 or 5, it is now prohibited to leave forest paths and roads. Walks off the signposted paths are therefore taboo, and anyone who wants to park in the forest must stick to the designated areas in order to avoid dangerous sources of fire.

These measures are a response to the ongoing drought, high temperatures and a significant rainfall deficit, which are increasing the risk of forest fires in the region. Humans are often the cause of forest fires, which is why the city relies on these restrictions to protect those seeking recreation and residents and to preserve the forest habitat.

Danger of forest fires in Saxony

Sachsenforst spokesman Lars Richter also points out the comprehensive protective measures in the Saxon communities. As part of these measures, fire lookout towers are in use across the board as part of preventive firefighting. Scenarios are also rehearsed regularly in order to be able to react as quickly and effectively as possible in an emergency. However, caution remains advised: Illegal fires repeatedly ignite forest fires, as shown by a recent incident in Coswig, where a fire was discovered at the water lily pond that had been set by unknown persons. The local fire department had to go out to extinguish the remains after a fire had already been set at this location, reports mdr.de.

There were a total of 1,059 forest fires in Germany in 2023 - a notable decrease compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, the forest fire area of ​​1,240 hectares remains above the long-term average. According to umweltbundesamt.de, it was primarily northeast Germany and parts of Saxony and Lower Saxony that were increasingly affected. With 251 fires, Brandenburg bears the highest responsibility for the fire landscapes in recent years.

Causes and prevention

Many of the wildfires are caused by human error. In 40% of cases, arson or negligence was determined to be the main cause. The careless behavior of forest visitors, campers and children was in most cases responsible for these tragic incidents. Preventive measures, such as converting conifer monocultures into mixed forests, are recommended to prevent future fires.

In recent years, the forest fire season has increasingly shifted to late summer and autumn, showing that the danger does not only exist in spring. As a result of climate changes, the risk of forest fires is expected to increase in the coming decades. Therefore, both individual responsibility and preventive measures are of great importance in protecting our forests.