Heat and drought: Alert level 4 for the risk of forest fires in Braunschweig!

Heat and drought: Alert level 4 for the risk of forest fires in Braunschweig!

The heat wave currently sweeping across Germany has also increased the risk of forest fires in the region around Cologne. Temperatures are skyrocketing and the German Weather Service (DWD) has now raised the warning level for the risk of forest fires to four, i.e. “high danger”. This means that the fire brigade and forest authorities are appealing to the population to be extremely careful when dealing with fire. Open fires and smoking in or near forest areas are therefore strictly prohibited. This is particularly relevant because there is a general ban on smoking in forests from April to November.

In recent days, weather conditions have been high in many cities. Up to 36 degrees were forecast in Braunschweig, while warning stations in cities such as Wittingen-Vorhop, Helmstedt and Bad Harzburg sounded the alarm. The Forest Fire Danger Index (WBI) shows how at risk the regions are. The values ​​in Braunschweig are given as level 3 (medium danger) until Friday, while Wittingen-Vorhop rises to level 4 and drops back to level 3 on Saturday. These index values ​​range from 1 (very low risk) to 5 (very high risk). Areas with sandy soils such as in Brandenburg, where most forest fires occur, are particularly at risk.

Recognize the danger in time

The experts at the German Weather Service are working on further developing the forest fire danger index in order to be able to make more precise assessments. Meteorological factors such as air temperature, humidity, precipitation and wind speed play a crucial role. The WBI is therefore regularly updated between March and October to take current situations into account. Over half of forest fires in Germany occur in the summer months, especially after long dry periods. Climate change is making the situation even worse and is leading to dryer than average years, which increases the risk to forests in the region.

The forestry authorities are calling on the population to avoid trips to the forest if possible or to be particularly vigilant. Cars should not be parked on dry grass as this can significantly contribute to fires starting. The focus of the forest fires has also shifted to late summer, which could become a challenge, especially for the Cologne region and the surrounding area. The collaboration of projects like “BrandSat” plays an important role in the future early detection of forest fires through the use of satellite data.

This way the population stays informed

In order to make citizens aware of the latest developments, a close exchange is maintained between the weather services and the responsible forestry authorities in the region. The population is constantly informed about the forest fire danger index in order to be able to recognize the risk in good time and take appropriate measures. Given the high temperatures expected in the next few days, caution when dealing with fire is particularly crucial. Therefore: Be careful, inform yourself regularly about the situation and adhere to the regulations of the responsible authorities.

So don't just navigate through the forests, but also use reliable information such as the forest fire danger index, which you can find for example here. Also make sure that you have the latest information from the Regional Today and the details from the [Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture].