The danger of forest fires in Lower Saxony is increasing: Beware of the flaming inferno!

The danger of forest fires in Lower Saxony is increasing: Beware of the flaming inferno!

The summer heat is increasing, and with it the risk of forest fires in Lower Saxony is increasing. From Wednesday, August 11, 2025, residents in several regions will have to prepare for a high level of danger as a heat wave is expected. On Tuesday the temperatures rise to up to 32 degrees, while Wednesday even brings up to 36 degrees in the south of Lower Saxony. These extreme conditions cause dry soils, which further increase the risk of forest fires. The NDR reports that the German Weather Service's forest fire danger index for Tuesday shows the second highest danger level in Celle.

High risk of forest fires in several regions

On Wednesday, seven regions are affected by a high risk of forest fires: Lüchow, Faßberg, Bergen, Wittingen-Vorhop, Celle, Wunstorf and Bad Harzburg. And that's not all: On Thursday, three more regions - Moringen-Lutterbeck, Herzberg and Göttingen - joined the list of danger areas. While the alert level is high in these areas, many other parts of Lower Saxony are at least at a medium danger level. In this context, forest visitors must pay attention to the fact that from the third danger level onwards, forestry staff must be on site.

The Lower Saxony State Forests urge caution and call on all forest visitors to adhere to the existing bans. Open fires, grilling and smoking in forests, moors and heaths are strictly prohibited from March 1st to October 31st. This is especially true for smoking, which is completely prohibited during this time. The Niedersachsen.de also informs that carelessness is the main cause of numerous forest fires - for example through discarded cigarettes or improper grilling.

Climate change as a contributing cause

One word puts a finger in the wound: climate change. This has drastically increased the risk of forest fires in recent years. Climate change is also making itself felt in Lower Saxony, as the vegetation dries out and thus encourages fires to break out. Experts say more than 80 percent of wildfires worldwide are caused by human error, according to the Forest Association confirmed. This should be taken seriously because the consequences can be devastating.

Despite all precautions, fires can still occur, whether due to natural causes such as lightning strikes or human error. In a case like this, every second counts. In the event of a fire, it is therefore important to immediately call 112 and indicate the exact location of the fire. In addition, the Harz narrow-gauge railways received instructions to change the timetable - steam locomotives will no longer run to the Brocken until further notice. Instead, diesel locomotives are used when the danger level is increased.

Prevention is key

To counter the risk of forest fires, preventive measures are becoming increasingly important. The Lower Saxony State Forests rely on educational approaches to make people aware of the dangers. In this context, the authority appeals to all forest visitors: Please adhere to the prohibitions - we hear too often about devastating fires that were caused by carelessness. It is the responsibility of all of us to preserve the forests and their beauty.