“One spark is enough”: Germany struggles with wildfires across states

Several federal states in Germany have been fighting an increasing number of wildfires. Fire departments across the country are responding to igniting fields and forests, trying to contain the damage.

Multiple wildfires over the weekend in Germany

The German Weather Service (Deutscher Wetter Dienst/DWD) has assigned multiple regions a danger rating of four out of five for this week. On Monday, July 13, danger is especially great, shifting and decreasing throughout the week, with most regions dropping to a three-out-of-five warning. The region of Marnitz in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has been assigned the highest alert rating. 

At the moment, almost all fire stations in Brandenburg are reporting firefighting operations. Throughout the weekend, there have been multiple wildfires, reports the Tagesschau. Two larger fires had ignited in harvested fields, covering 15 and 10 hectares each. Especially now, with heatwaves and extreme dryness in Germany, a single spark can set an entire field on fire.

In Neubrandenburg, it took approximately 100 firefighters to extinguish a burning field, prompting residents to evacuate their homes. Four firefighters were injured, two of them hospitalised. Areas in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein have reported similar incidents, with harvested fields near towns going up in flames.

How to prevent wildfires?

“One spark is enough”, said the Bavarian Forest Minister Michaela Kaniber, calling visitors and residents to act with special care in and proximity to forests, reports the Tagesschau. 

Greenpeace, the Malteser, and regional forest associations all provide you with information on how to deal with wildfire season. Here are the most important steps for you:

• Don’t smoke in nature. Ensure that cigarette buds are disposed of in trash cans.
• Refrain from campfires and grilling in forests and dry fields.
• Don’t use candles or lanterns in the forest.
• Leave your car only in designated parking spots. Hot pipes can ignite dry grass.
• Ensure that ambulances and fire engines can pass through pathways.
• Notify the fire department immediately if you notice a fire. In Germany, you can reach them by dialling 112.