Urgent Warning: Exceptionally High Forest Fire Risk Across Brandenburg Regions - Elevated forest fire danger across entire Brandenburg region
High Forest Fire Risk Across Brandenburg, Germany
Brandenburg, a state in eastern Germany, is currently facing a significant forest fire risk due to a combination of climate conditions, historical land use, and inadequate forest management.
The extreme drought and very low rainfall experienced in Brandenburg have made vegetation conditions extremely dry and flammable. According to reports, 2025 marked the driest first half-year in Potsdam since 1893, setting a dismal record.
Another contributing factor is the prevalence of pine monocultures, particularly in eastern Germany including Brandenburg. These monocultures contribute to the creation of flammable forest fuel, making fires spread more easily.
Historical land use and unexploded ordnance also play a role in increasing the fire risk. Large areas of Brandenburg’s forests contain unexploded ordnance from previous military use, complicating forest management activities such as clearing and controlled burns.
The complexity of managing wildfire risk is further heightened by multiple governance responsibilities and the challenges of emergency planning and suppression operations in these compromised areas.
In response to the escalating forest fire danger, a year-round ban on fire and smoking has been implemented in Brandenburg. The ban applies to all areas, including within the woods and near lake shores. This includes a prohibition on grilling at lake shores near the woods.
Despite the high forest fire risk, access to forests in Brandenburg is still possible, with potential exceptions for restricted access in some cases. The forest fire risk levels are determined by stages, with stage 4 indicating a high risk. Most of the federal state of Brandenburg is at a high risk level (stage 4) for forest fires. However, only the districts of Prignitz, Teltow-Fläming, Dahme-Spreewald, and Oberspreewald-Lausitz are at a medium risk level (stage 3).
The ministry has reported the year-round ban on fire and smoking in Brandenburg's woods, which is a response to the escalating forest fire danger in the state. The forest fire risk in Brandenburg is reported by the Ministry of the Environment.
It's crucial for everyone to adhere to the ban to help reduce the risk of forest fires and ensure the safety of the environment and the community.
- The ministry's year-round ban on fire and smoking in Brandenburg's woods aims to curb escalating forest fire danger, considering the critical role of environmental factors such as climate-change, drought, and flammable vegetation in fueling these fires, as well as the environmental damage such fires could cause to the fragile ecosystem.
- As the ministry of environment reports, the high forest fire risk in Brandenburg, exacerbated by factors like pine monocultures, historical land use, and inadequate forest management, underscores the importance of adhering to the ban on fire and smoking, thus protecting the environment and mitigating the risk of climate-change-induced weather events.
