Moderate risk of forest fires in Brandenburg, with a slight upward trend.
Brandenburg Faces Ongoing High Forest Fire Risk
Brandenburg, Germany, is currently grappling with a significant forest fire risk, particularly in its eastern and southern border areas adjacent to Saxony. The ongoing fires in regions like the Gohrischheide nature reserve, affecting around 10 square kilometers, have been exacerbated by recent heat waves, dry conditions, and strong winds, creating challenging firefighting conditions.
The State Forestry Office, responsible for monitoring the risk of forest fires in Brandenburg, has reported that the state has the highest risk of forest fires nationwide. This risk is not limited to a specific region or day of the week. Despite improvements in weather conditions by early August 2025 reducing fire intensity and firefighter deployment, the threat of fire re-ignition remains high.
The German Weather Service is predicting the risk of forest fires in Brandenburg. Currently, the risk is not expected to be high on Tuesday. However, the risk is predicted to increase from very low to low in some regions on Sunday and Monday. On Wednesday, the risk is expected to be high in some parts of the state, and in the Märkisch-Oderland district, the risk is expected to be medium, with some parts of the district expected to be high-risk areas.
Elsewhere in Brandenburg on Wednesday, the risk of forest fires is expected to be medium, low, or very low. Despite recent rainfall, the risk of forest fires has decreased, but Brandenburg's extensive pine forests, low rainfall, and sandy soils contribute to its high risk of forest fires.
Experts warn that wildfires in the region are not a question of if, but when and how severely they will occur. This outlook underlines the urgent need for enhanced strategic fire management, such as improved water infrastructure (irrigation, sprinklers), preventive measures like early mowing of meadows, and defensive fire protection planning to reduce future risk and improve resilience across Brandenburg and neighboring states.
Authorities emphasize long-term preventive and infrastructural actions to mitigate severe wildfire impact in the future. The current forest fire risks in Brandenburg, while temporarily eased by recent weather improvements, remain significant, and the ongoing high forest fire risk underlines the need for continued preparedness and firefighting efforts using helicopters, controlled burns, and ground teams from multiple agencies including the Bundeswehr and federal police.
[1] Brandenburg Forest Fire Update [2] German Weather Service Forecast [3] State Forestry Office [4] Bundeswehr Firefighting Efforts [5] Federal Police Firefighting Efforts
- The ongoing forest fire risk in Brandenburg, Germany, highlights the crucial role of environmental science, particularly climate-change studies, as heat waves, dry conditions, and strong winds contribute to the increasing frequency and severity of these fires.
- As the German Weather Service predicts the risk of forest fires in Brandenburg to be high in some parts of the state on Wednesday, it is essential for scientists in the field of weather and climate-change to collaborate closely with the State Forestry Office and authorities to develop effective strategies for environmental protection and fire management.
