Forest fire risk in NRW: Attention! Level 3 for Mettmann proclaimed!

Forest fire risk in NRW: Attention! Level 3 for Mettmann proclaimed!

This day, April 2, 2025, the authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have called for an increased risk of forest fire. The German Weather Service (DWD) has set the forest fire hazard index at level 3 for the majority of NRW, which corresponds to an average risk of fire. This warning also affects the district of Mettmann, in which the risks are taken particularly seriously. Such a risk is often associated with the warmer temperatures and drier conditions that occur in the spring time.

The forest fire threat index (WBI) is shown in five danger levels: of very low to very high danger. Level 1 stands for a very low risk, while level 5 signals a very high risk. The WBI serves the state authorities as an important instrument for assessing and publishing warnings in terms of forest fires, as described in detail on the DWD pages. The evaluation takes place on the basis of the meteorological conditions and is updated daily to take the current hazardous conditions into account , the German Weather Service .

special precautions

In the forests of North Rhine -Westphalia, a ban on smoking and inflaming open fire applies between March and October. This applies not only to forests, but also to meadows, bushes and shrubs, since the risk of fire is also high here. The most common causes of fire include cigarettes thrown away, warm engines of parked cars and unattended grills. In addition, fires can also be triggered by glass or plastic bottles, lighters and doses.

The fire brigade urgently warns against parking to forests and dirt roads, since an unimpeded access for emergency services is necessary in an emergency. In the event of a fire, the emergency number 112 is called up immediately reports Radio Neandertal .