Heat, wind and drought: fire department warns of large forest fires

A sign reading "Protect the forest from fire danger" hangs on a path in a forest.

Due to persistent drought, wind and heat expected in the coming days, fire experts warn of large vegetation fires in Germany.

"It is to be feared that the situation could become even more dangerous than in the disaster year 2018," said Ulrich Cimolino, chairman of the working group forest fire in the German Fire Brigades Association (DFV), on Tuesday (July 12, 2022) in Berlin. There, according to the report, forest fires and drought in Europe had caused damage of $3.9 billion.

Dry soil leads to rapid spread of flames

Especially the combination of high temperatures, dryness and strong winds could lead to fires developing quickly in the coming days, the DFV explained. In addition, despite rain, the soil in many regions is too dry, so that flames can spread more quickly.

Smoking and barbecue ban in German forests

The experts appealed to people not to barbecue or smoke in the forest. From the beginning of March to the end of October, this is prohibited in Germany, they said. "Please use paved areas with sufficiently large non-combustible ground surfaces for this purpose," the DFV announced.