Wald fires shake Thuringia: Police are looking for witnesses to the flames!

Wald fires shake Thuringia: Police are looking for witnesses to the flames!

In the past few days, Thuringia has to struggle with a number of fires that not only burden the landscape, but also use the emergency services. Several fire broke out on Monday and Tuesday, including a surface burn that has already extended over 1,000 square meters. According to MDR , a barley field between Hotelstedt and Ottmannshausen was set on fire, while further fire near Sichelreuth and Nordhausen were waving.

The voluntary fire brigades from Ramsla, Buttelstedt and Berlstedt as well as numerous other emergency services have worked tirelessly to delete the flames. During the emergency services in Thuringia, around 100 firefighters were needed to fight the fire in the Sonneberg district, where up to 500 square meters of forest were affected. "People or buildings were not at risk," the police reported. The investigation runs to clarify the cause of these fires, and a cyclist near the first fire is considered a suspect.

forest fire monitoring and prevention

These events come to the opening of the forest fire surveillance season by Thuringia Forest on March 1, which lasts until the end of October. This initiative includes the daily recording of the risk of forest fire, which is divided into five stages. According to the information from Thuringiaforst , careless forest visitors still represent the main cause of forest fires. The more extreme weather conditions also increase the risk of fires in the woods.

The state forest company has made significant investments in forest fire prevention and technology in recent years. In addition to the maintenance of fire -fighting ponds, a new fire fighting unit, the “Firefighter” by Ponsse, was introduced. This can transport up to 10,000 liters of fire water and has a range of up to 50 meters. In addition, cooperation with fire departments was reinforced by joint exercises in order to be better positioned in an emergency.

insight into the forest fire statistics

A look at the numbers on the subject of forest fires shows that Germany recorded a total of 1,059 fires in 2023, which represents a decline compared to 2022. According to Environmental Federal Agency , however, the affected forest area was 1,240 hectares above the long-term cut. The statistics also show that human action, especially through negligence, plays a significant role in the triggering of forest fires, which is about 40 % of cases.

The danger situation is particularly high in May to July, in which about 80 % of the annual fires occur. This speaks for further intensifying the educational work for fire prevention and increasing increased focus on safe behaviors of forest visitors. After all, due to a lack of caution, such as grilling in the forest or the careless disposal of cigarettes, great damage can quickly occur.

Overall, it is important to look at the current situation as well as to pay attention to the causes and prevention strategies. Future fires can only be counteracted through community action and awareness.