Advice for behaviour before, during and after forest fires
for holidaymakers and owners of holiday homes in other European countries
Forest fires are part of a natural cycle in many regions of the world and therefore occur regularly. Problems arise, however, when, among other things, human settlements are built into nature without prior consideration of possible dangers from forest fires.
Wildfires are significantly influenced by three factors: weather, vegetation, and terrain. Forest fires in the countries of southern and south-eastern Europe can take on much more intense forms than here in Germany.
Although the majority of all forest fires are detected and extinguished early, if all factors are unfavourable, such as dense vegetation, hot, dry and windy weather in a hilly terrain, such fires spread very quickly and are difficult to fight - even with fire-fighting aircraft.