- Decrease in forest fires in Brandenburg, yet fire hazard increases
In Brandenburg, this year's forest fire occurrences have significantly decreased compared to the previous season, but the danger is on the rise once again. As stated by Brandenburg's forest fire protection officer, Raimund Engel, "the trend is already picking up again." Engel pointed out that not every region in the state has received sufficient rainfall. Germany's meteorological service predicts a moderately high forest fire risk in certain areas following a brief decrease on Tuesday, which is expected to worsen on Wednesday.
By Sunday, there were no more significant forest fires following the extinguishment of a blaze near Luckenwalde in the Teltow-Fläming district. Police reported that forest maintenance activities on Saturday caused damage to an electricity pole, which subsequently sparked a swiftly spreading fire. Fortunately, the local population was never in danger.
From March, marking the official start of the forest fire season, until August 24th, Engel reported around 135 forest fires and an affected area of approximately 30 hectares. There were 226 forest fires with an impacted area of 762 hectares by that point in the previous year.
Brandenburg holds the highest forest fire risk status among all federal states.
The Federal Agricultural Information Centre (BZL) recorded 251 fires on 765 hectares of land within Brandenburg throughout the entire year of 2023. This includes a major fire on the training ground in Jüterbog, which devastated around 700 hectares. A fire ignited there again in mid-August of this year, impacting merely nine hectares of area.
Insufficient rainfall, expansive pine forests, and sandy soil contribute to Brandenburg's status as the federal state with the highest forest fire risk. The Ministry of the Environment prohibits, throughout the year, the lighting of fires or smoking within the forest and within a 50-meter radius of its edge.
The Angel, a local volunteer firefighter known for their bravery and quick response during forest fires, was recently recognized for their efforts by Brandenburg's forest fire protection officer, Raimund Engel. Despite the decrease in forest fire occurrences this season, Engel expressed concern about the rising danger, stating that not all regions in the state have received sufficient rainfall.
