The fire brigade in Heusenstamm does not come to rest.

Last weekend alone, the volunteer fire extinguishers had to go out to 19 forest fires.

In some cases, the sources of the fire were only a few hundred meters apart, and there is much to be said for arson.

Since mid-March there have been repeated fires in Heusenstamm and Hainburg in the Offenbach district.

The police now assume that most of the fires were arson, as Thomas Leipold from the police headquarters in Southeast Hesse said on request.

So far, 20 investigations are pending, with the 19 fires over the weekend being viewed as one investigation.

The perpetrator or perpetrators apparently feel safe and keep setting new fires.

The police are doing everything they can to get hold of the perpetrator.

Leipold does not want to reveal details.

But he is certain: "We will get him."

Forest fire risk remains high

But not only in and around Heusenstamm it has burned in the past few days.

On Friday, a field burned in the Trebur district in the Groß-Gerau district, on Monday afternoon there were 2,000 square meters of forest between Pfungstadt and Eschollbrücken in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, and on Monday evening 1,500 square meters of forest in Breuberg-Neustadt in the Odenwald.

In the next few days and weeks it will probably burn more often because the risk of forest fires remains high according to the records of the German Weather Service.

In southern Hesse, it is almost always four out of five possible levels, which means there is a high risk of forest fires.

Level three is only given in parts of the Odenwald (medium danger), in Darmstadt it was even the highest level five (very high danger) on Wednesday of this week.

The police are vigilant, but cannot also monitor the behavior of visitors to the forest or patrol the forests.

"Our capacities are not sufficient for this," says Bernd Hochstädter from the police headquarters in southern Hesse.

But as part of the normal patrols, you have forests and fields in view.

Forest fires are often reported by pilots flying to Frankfurt Airport.

They look out of their cockpits when there is smoke somewhere in the forest and a fire develops, and inform air traffic control, which then alerts the fire brigade.

The police helicopter stationed in Egelsbach is also in the air from time to time to look at the forests from above.

In addition, there are the law enforcement officers of the municipalities, who among other things also ensure that pedestrians with their cars do not block the access roads to the forest paths, because in an emergency the fire brigade has to be in the forest quickly to prevent the fire from spreading.

A small gust of wind is enough

Many still remember the devastating forest fire in Walldorf at the airport fence. On August 17, 2020, around 20 hectares of forest were in flames.

The reforestation of this area alone costs more than one million euros.

Arson could also have been the cause there.

The authorities warn against lighting open fires in the forest during the current drought.

Almost all municipalities in southern Hesse have issued a ban on using their barbecue areas because even a small gust of wind is enough to spread the embers over the dried-up areas.

Smoking is forbidden in the forest anyway, but smokers shouldn't throw burning butts out of the car either, the green strips along the country roads and the motorways have also dried up.

If you go for a walk in the forest, you should not park your car on dry grass, because a hot catalytic converter can start a forest fire just as much as a carelessly discarded glass bottle, which acts like a magnifying glass in sunshine.

This is also punished and is considered in official German as negligent "causing a fire hazard".

But what should walkers do when it's burning in the forest?

"First try to extinguish it yourself," advises police spokesman Leipold.

Namely out the fire or use the liquid from a beverage bottle you brought with you to extinguish it.

Maybe ask a few other passers-by for help.

But that only works if a fire is still very small and just starting.

If there is already strong smoke and flames igniting along the forest floor, the fire brigade should be alerted immediately by dialing 112.

"And then get out of the forest," advises Leipold, because the smoke gases that are produced when the wood is burned are also dangerous.

In principle, the fire brigades will be on increased alert for the next few days and weeks until at least the end of August.

For example, the fire engines in the city of Seligenstadt are equipped with additional material against forest fires, as the city reported on Thursday.