Highest forest fire risk: Saxony calls for caution!

Highest forest fire risk: Saxony calls for caution!

The eyes of forest owners and nature lovers in Saxony are currently focused on the impressive but also potentially dangerous forests. From Saturday, June 22, 2025, the Saxon Forest Owners Association and Sachsenforst will warn of a high risk of forest fires in the Free State. The forecast from the German Weather Service is alarming: the highest danger level (level 5) is expected for Sunday, especially along the Saxon-Brandenburg state border. This particularly affects the northern parts of the districts of North Saxony, Meißen, Bautzen, Görlitz and the city of Dresden, where the dry weather is now making itself felt.

There are several factors behind this threat: insufficient rainfall, high temperatures and the dry wind have already parched the soil layers. This makes the appeal from State Forestry President Utz Hempfling all the more important, emphasizing that humans are the main cause of forest fires. Last year, around 75 percent of all fires were caused by human error. In view of past catastrophic fires in Saxon and Bohemian Switzerland, careful behavior is particularly required.

Precautions and rules of conduct

What should visitors to the forests pay attention to? Caution is required all year round when dealing with open fires. According to that Saxon Forest Law It is strictly forbidden to smoke, grill or light campfires in the forest. Even releasing sky lanterns has been prohibited since 2009 so as not to put anyone in unnecessary danger. The penalties for violations can be severe and result in fines of up to 1,000 euros.

In addition, paths to forests should not be blocked, as these are vital escape routes. If a forest fire is discovered, the authorities suggest contacting the fire department immediately on 112. Visitors should be particularly careful when forest fire danger levels 4 or 5 have been reached, as in such cases even access to forests may be restricted.

The situation of the forest fire risk in Saxony

The forest fire season in Saxony extends from March 1st to October, and around 91 percent of fires occur during this time. The latest statistics also provide informative information: In 2022, 215 forest fires were reported in Saxony, which damaged over 780 hectares of forest. 177 of these fires occurred between May and August alone. Only a small proportion are affected by natural causes such as lightning strikes; the majority are tragic results of negligent behavior.

With the feeling that something is going on, everyone who loves nature should take the authorities' calls seriously. Sachsenforst and the Saxon Forest Owners Association regularly provide up-to-date information on the risk of forest fires. If you want to know more, you can find it all here Sachsenforst and in the mobile app “Forest Fire Danger Saxony”, which even offers emergency call and location functions. Being informed is the first step to staying safe in the outdoors.