Risk of forest in Hesse: Dürre increases risk for our forests!

Am 6. April 2025 warnt der Deutsche Wetterdienst vor erhöhten Waldbrandgefahren in Hessen, insbesondere in Groß-Gerau.
On April 6, 2025, the German Weather Service warns of increased forest fire threats in Hesse, especially in Groß-Gerau. (Symbolbild/ANAG)

Risk of forest in Hesse: Dürre increases risk for our forests!

The current meteorological conditions significantly increase the risk of forest fire in Germany. On April 6, 2025, News.de of a high risk, especially in Hesse, where 20 forests are considered particularly at risk. These forests include the Eichwald, the Frankfurt Stadtwald and the State Forest Groß-Gerau. According to the reports of the German Weather Service, all 35 measuring stations in Hessen will report the warning level 3 (medium to increased danger) for the next five days.

Spring brings dry conditions, and the forecasts show no rainfall in the near future. The drought further increases the danger situation. Harz -containing conifers in particular are particularly susceptible to fire. These trees can often be found in the affected forests. Current weather conditions that include low humidity and mild winds contribute to increasing the fire risk.

forest fire theater levels in Germany

The forest fire theater levels show how serious the situation is. Here is an overview:

level risk
1 very low risk
2 Low risk
3 medium risk (no public fireplaces, no smoking)
4 high risk (parking spaces and tourist facilities can be blocked)
5 extremely high risk (prohibition of walking)

The main cause of forest fires in Germany is still human behavior. Data from 2021 show that 128 of 259 registered forest fires are due to negligence. This ranges from carelessly thrown cigarettes to improperly deleted warehouse fires. Furthermore, around 77 percent of the forest fires are due to unexplained causes, whereby more than half of all negligent fires are triggered by the general public, including walks or campers, confirms BMEL-STATISTIK.de .

Current statistics and forecasts

In 2023, a total of 1,059 forest fires were registered in Germany, which represents a decline by half compared to the previous year. However, this is still above the multi -year average. The total area affected by fires was 1,240 hectares, whereby the average fire area with 1.2 hectares per fire has been one of the highest values ​​since the beginning of forest fire statistics. The financial damage was around 1.19 million euros, as the Federal Environmental Office reported.

Due to the forecast higher temperatures and lower precipitation, an increasing risk of forest fire will be assumed in the coming decades. Young and light needle forests are particularly herds of danger. Preventive measures, such as the conversion of needle tree monocultures in mixed forests with a high trolley content, are recommended to promote the stability of the forest ecosystems and prevent forest fires.

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