- Title: Risk of forest fires rises in Germany
- Date: 13th May 2016
- Summary: WUENSDORF, GERMANY (MAY 10, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF FOREST FIRES CONTROL CENTRE ENTRANCE SIGN READING (German): 'STATE OFFICE FOREST BRANDENBURG' STAFF OF FOREST FIRES CONTROL CENTRE SITTING IN THEIR OFFICE, MONITORING FOREST SITUATION ON COMPUTER SIGN READING (German): 'FIRE! ONE SPARK IS ENOUGH' VARIOUS OF FOREST FIRE CONTROL CENTRE STAFF AT WORK SMOKE ARISING FROM FOREST SEEN ON COMPUTER MONITOR MAN TALKING ON PHONE
- Embargoed: 28th May 2016 09:30
- Keywords: forest fires Germany
- Location: WUENSDORF AND ZESCH AM SEE, GERMANY
- City: WUENSDORF AND ZESCH AM SEE, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Fires
- Reuters ID: LVA0014HN4Q4N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:While Germans are enjoying the first hot and sunny spell of the year, high season also starts for the staff at the forest fires control centre in the eastern German state of Brandenburg. With rising temperatures also the forest fires danger index is increasing and already hit the highest levels in the state surrounding the German capital Berlin, which is known for its dry sandy grounds and lesser rainfalls compared to other parts of Germany.
"It's the first weekend or even week of the year with nice weather, high-pressure weather with temperatures far above 20 degrees and this of course is a situation, which draws attention to the forest fire danger indices. This means, we have the highest danger index in Brandenburg already for a few days," explained Raimund Engel, Brandenburg commissioner for forest fire prevention.
Engel and his colleagues monitor the forest fire situation at the control centre in Wuensdorf to catch forest fires at an early stage. Video cameras have been installed to be able to transmit pictures of forests and possible fires. Forest rangers are in close contact to exchange information quickly and alarm the firefighters early on. This is especially important as Brandenburg forests consist to 70 percent of pine trees, which burn very easily and therefore pose a great risk for the fire to spread widely, explained Engel, who also overwatches firefighting operations on site.
"I believe we are slowly going to notice the climate change also here. We have experienced temperatures of almost 40 degrees during this time of year lately and the change between hot periods and strong rainfalls, weather extremes have increased and especially in hot, dry periods - which of course are a precondition - forest fires can emerge. We have to say that we notice this, forest rangers can see a change. It is slow, but ongoing. And it is surely affecting the forest fires as we see them here, in the coming years," predicted Engel.
Engel and the firefighters on site in the forest near the small town of Zesch am See managed to extinguish the fire. But Engel emphasised that risks would remain due to strong winds. "If it burns like here now, there will be always the risk that a fire flares up again and widens out," he said.
Even though the weather forecast predicts lower temperatures and rain for the upcoming Whitsunday weekend, the risk of forest fires will remain high, forest officials said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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