"High" risk of forest fires in Bavaria: DWD warns especially day-trippers - "Use extreme caution in the forest"

Created: 03/11/2022, 1:45 p.m

By: Helena Grillenberger

The risk of forest fires in Bavaria is very high this weekend.

Day trippers should be careful.

© Philipp Schulze/dpa/symbol picture

Be careful when going out into nature at the weekend.

The German Weather Service warns of a high risk of forest fires.

The smallest spark is enough.

Munich – Many people tend to think of summer, heat, dried up grass and empty rain barrels when they hear the word forest fire risk.

But not on days when drivers first have to scrape the ice off their windows in the morning.

Nevertheless: The risk of forest fires is increasing to the fourth of five levels these days, especially in the northern half of the Free State.

The grassland fire index of the German Weather Service (DWD), which indicates the risk of fire in open, unshaded areas with dead wild grass, is already at level four across the whole of Bavaria.

At the weekend it also rises to "high" in the few remaining spots on the edge of the Alps.

(By the way: Our Bayern newsletter informs you about all the important stories from Bavaria. Register here.)

Danger of forest fires in Bavaria: Hardly any precipitation in March

The reason: the lack of rain or snow.

"March can be described as bone dry throughout Bavaria.

That's not even an exaggeration," says the DWD.

"There has been no precipitation at all at almost any station since March." Even in eastern Bavaria, where it rained briefly in the meantime, there was not even one liter per square meter.

"It's nothing.

Normally, around 16 liters should have fallen by now," said the DWD expert, looking at the long-term average values.

Then there's the dry wind.

“Extreme caution now applies in the forest!” warns Bavaria’s Minister of Forestry, Michaela Kaniber (CSU).

In many places, the soil is covered with dry, easily inflammable leaves, twigs and needles.

"Just a spark or a carelessly discarded cigarette butt can be enough to start a catastrophic fire."

You also have to be careful when parking: Hot catalytic converters can quickly ignite easily flammable surfaces.

Several district governments have therefore already ordered observation flights.

The risk of fire is particularly great on sunny grassy areas;

the night frost does not reduce the risk of fire, it was said from Lower Franconia, for example.

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Almost throughout Bavaria, there is a high risk of forest fires at the weekend

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Almost throughout Bavaria, there is a high risk of forest fires at the weekend

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Forest fire: large-scale operation of the fire brigade in 2016

In addition, because of the persistently sunny weather, a large number of weekend trippers can be expected, emphasized the authority - and asked not to handle open fire or smoke under any circumstances.

The danger is particularly high in the afternoon.

"This spring drought is nothing unusual, it happens again and again," classifies the DWD expert.

Unforgotten in Upper Bavaria: Two men who lit a campfire on New Year's Eve 2016 on the Jochberg near Kochel am See, setting large parts of the mountain on fire.

A large-scale operation followed, costing around half a million euros, during which helicopters with depth charges took days to bring the flames under control.

"Especially at the end of winter, in February and March, the trees are not yet supplied with water as they were in April and May," explains the DWD meteorologist.

Danger of forest fires at the weekend: It could rain next week

While the risk of forest fires on Friday initially increases to “high”, especially in Upper and Middle Franconia as well as in Upper Palatinate and Lower Bavaria, Lower Franconia and northern parts of Upper Bavaria and Swabia will be added on Saturday.

On Sunday, the warning level will probably drop again in many places because the weather experts are forecasting clouds instead of bright sunshine.

However, the grassland index remains high.

Because there is still no rain in sight: "The situation could only change a bit from Tuesday to Wednesday, at least in northern Bavaria, there seems to be some rain coming in," said the meteorologist.

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