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Far more than 30 degrees Celsius and no rain anywhere - the summer heat creates tension at Raimund Engel. Because Engel is a forest fire officer - in Brandenburg of all places.
Raimund Engel, Brandenburg Forest Fire Officer "You can see very clearly here: Even if you dig deep with two spades, the situation is like this, even at this depth. That is pure sand. Everything runs down here. Ultimately, there is no residual moisture in it. ”
The forest fire risk is currently at the highest level in seven Brandenburg districts. The forests are monitored around the clock with 105 special cameras. If a cloud of smoke is detected, the systems automatically alert the fire department.
Raimund Engel, Brandenburg Forest Fire Officer "Certainly 2018 and 2019 were extreme years. In 2018 we had well over 500 forest fires in Brandenburg and in the last year 2019 over 400. But now we have 249 forest fires, and we’ve just noticed, we’re here in one of the forest fire centers in the country. New fire reports keep coming in, often field fires, but there will also be forest fires here and there. I don't want to say, maybe by this minute we have 250 forest fires together. I look back, now until 1990. And then I have to honestly say: These three years are already extreme years. The temperatures are rising. We have already had 36, 37 degrees here. In the last few years it has always been these extreme temperatures. And then it is also whole phases of one week, two weeks , last year even then over several weeks. "
After the last two forest fire summers, massive investments were made in equipping the fire brigades. Researchers are also investigating how the risk of forest fires can be reduced - for example by using firebreaks or planting certain types of trees. And this reminder for the forest visitors remains important: According to statistics, forest fires are often caused by negligence - by a thrown cigarette, for example, or by flying sparks from a campfire.