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Danger of forest fires in the Märkischer Kreis: Alert level 4 from Sunday!
The risk of forest fires in the Märkischer Kreis is increasing. Experts warn of risks and give important tips for protection.
Danger of forest fires in the Märkischer Kreis: Alert level 4 from Sunday!
The North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Forestry and Wood is sounding the alarm: The risk of forest fires in North Rhine-Westphalia, especially in the Märkischer Kreis, is increasing rapidly. According to radiomk.de, 50% of the area of the Märkischer Kreis is already forested, which makes the region particularly vulnerable. Danger level 4 out of 5 is expected for Lüdenscheid on Sunday, and the fire index for grasslands is also climbing. This not only affects Lüdenscheid, but also Meinerzhagen.
It is clear that human error is one of the main causes of forest fires. A full 90% of fires are caused by negligent behavior. Hartwig Dolgner, forest fire expert, urgently warns against carelessly throwing away cigarettes and calls for the applicable fire prevention rules to be strictly followed.
Precautions and rules of conduct
The forest demands respect and caution: Open fires are strictly prohibited in the forest and within a 100 meter radius, unless you are in a designated barbecue area. Emergency routes must also remain clear and vehicles should only be parked on paved areas. Strict smoking bans also apply: from March 1st to October 31st, smoking is prohibited in the forest. If smoke or fire is discovered in the forest, you should immediately dial 112 and report the exact location. You should only attempt to extinguish the fire yourself in the case of small fires. Safety is the top priority here.
In Neuenrade-Affeln in particular, a special agent against forest fires was used in 2023. If climate monitoring is anything to go by, we're not just fighting the flames locally. As klimaatlas.nrw.de shows, the current climate normal period from 1991 to 2020 has produced an average of 21 days per year with forest fire index levels 4 and 5. For comparison: In the years 1961 to 1990 it was only 10 days.
A look at the development of the forest fire risk
The number of days with low wildfire index values has decreased significantly during this time, while more dangerous levels have increased. The federal and state governments have responded to these developments: The forest fire index as a measure of the risk has been improved. The Umweltbundesamt reports a decrease in forest fire areas between 1991 and 2017, although the risk from extreme weather events such as drought and heat, especially in 2018 and 2019, is increasing.
On average, there were around 61 forest fires annually from 1991 to 2023, affecting an area of around 18 hectares. Dry years such as 2018, 2019 and 2020 put certain regions in focus, while the risk of forest fires in most parts of Germany continues to be influenced by storms, snowfall and pests.
Given these alarming developments, it is important to continue investing in forest fire prevention and infrastructure in the future. Old fire lookout towers have been replaced by modern sensors that relay useful information to forest fire control centers. This makes it all the more important: let us protect our forests and be enthusiastic about sustainable behavior when dealing with fire and nature!