German firefighters are warning of a forest fire
Due to lack of rainfall and drought, the risk of forest fires is also increasing in Germany. In parts of Eastern Germany, the fire department has declared the highest level of danger and urges reporting fires quickly to enable their extinguishing.
Given the drought in Germany, the fire department warns of an increased risk of forest fires. "Especially in eastern federal states, we are reaching level five out of five today and tomorrow," announced the chairman of the association's working group on forest fires, Ulrich Cimolino, to the "Rheinische Post". This means "extreme forest fire danger". The German Weather Service in Offenbach predicts partial extreme heat for Tuesday.
Most forest fires in Germany are currently caused by forestry and harvesting work, said Cimolino. Fortunately, this year there is the peculiarity that the danger is repeatedly reduced by rain setting in, the expert added. In the west, there has been more rain than in the east.
Since the air temperatures are still below 30 degrees and moderate wind is expected in most parts of the country, it will usually be possible to contain and extinguish emerging fires, said the representative of the fire department. The prerequisite for this is that they are reported in time.
Forest fire risk is expected to increase
According to the Federal Environment Agency, the most forest fires in Germany were registered in Brandenburg in the past years, where the soils are sandy and pine forests prevail. Risk assessments predict an increasing forest fire risk for Germany in the future.
This is mainly due to declining rainfall in spring, summer, and autumn, according to experts. Forest fires are often caused by negligence or arson. Drought, for example after heat periods, promotes the spread of fires.
The European Union has expressed concern over the escalating forest fire risk in Germany. Given the increasing risk and the severity of the situation in eastern German regions, the European Union has offered emergency resources and expertise to aid in fire management.
