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Jessen (dpa / sa) - Saxony-Anhalt relies on a technology that comes from aerospace engineering for the early detection of forest fires.
The environmental ministry announced on Wednesday that the optical sensors were installed on former fire watch towers, cell phone masts and tall buildings.
A sensor can monitor an area of more than 700 square kilometers and localize the smallest clouds of smoke with extreme precision.
Forest fires would be discovered more quickly.
The sensor electronics and the image processing software were developed as part of the "Rosetta" space mission.
Environment Minister Claudia Dalbert visited the modernized site in Arnsdorf near Jessen on Wednesday.
Since 2019, Saxony-Anhalt has invested 1.2 million euros in state funds in modernizing the “Fire Watch” early forest fire detection system, it said.
The lowest forest fire risk levels 1 and 2 are currently shown for Saxony-Anhalt.
According to the Landeszentrum Wald in Saxony-Anhalt, there were 54 fires between January and December 2020, and 104 forest fires were counted in 2019.
In 2020, almost 9 hectares of forest were destroyed by the flames, in 2019 it was a good 20 hectares.
The reason for the decline was more and better distributed rainfall.
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210310-99-762531 / 2
Information on forest fire protection in Saxony-Anhalt
Forest fire hazard levels in Saxony-Anhalt