Forest fires: “Germany is a developing country when it comes to fire”

Lforest fires are no longer just a problem in southern European countries. Central Europe and Scandinavia are also increasingly affected. There was even a fire in Greenland. The European Center for the Coordination of Emergency Response prepares for an intense wildfire season. Brussels has more than doubled the EU’s aerial firefighting fleet. Ten firefighting aircraft, 14 light amphibious aircraft and four helicopters are permanently operational until October 30th.

Alexander Held warns against investing solely in firefighting and neglecting forest fire prevention. Held is a fire ecologist at the European Forest Institute in Bonn and head of the “Forest Fire Climate Resilience” project. The aim is to design forests in such a way that they are as resistant to fire as possible. Protection against forest fires, according to his approach, begins with the design of the landscape. “Anyone who only relies on extinguishing loses the fight against the fire.” But Germany has not really recognized this yet.