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Pirna (dpa / sn) - Last year 109 forest fires were registered in Saxony.
According to the state enterprise Sachsenforst, almost 33 hectares of forest were destroyed on Friday.
That was less than in the two previous years: in 2018, 240 hectares were destroyed in 195 fires, and in 2019, 41.5 hectares in 153 fires.
According to the agency, human behavior is responsible in most cases.
In 2020 only two fires had a natural cause such as lightning strikes.
82 resulted from negligence, 11 were laid, and in 14 cases the reason remained unclear.
Environment Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) urged forest visitors to help prevent fires, also referring to past bark beetle, storm and drought damage.
Before the start of the forest fire season (March 1), he urged “to behave responsibly”.
According to the highest forest authority, the risk of fire can increase quickly.
The mild temperatures, wind and a lot of sun of the past few days have decimated the amount of water stored in light soils by ten percent - and it is to be expected that March will start a little too mild and with little rainfall.
The use of open fires in and around the forest is prohibited all year round, including smoking, barbecuing and campfires.
Access roads to the forest must remain free, parking on the paths is not permitted.
Sachsenforst and the Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Meteorological Service) have updated daily forest fire risk levels for 31 regions in the Free State.
These can also be called up for the respective location via mobile app, including a forecast for three days, tips on correct behavior and an emergency call function.
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210226-99-605534 / 2
Fire monitoring information