About one third of the area of the Federal Repub­lic of Germany is covered by forest. Time and again, espe­cially in the summer months, the fire depart­ment is called to smaller and larger forest fires. The Red Book­let describes, among other things, the causes of forest fires and their course, preven­tive measures, forest fire suppres­sion, and the special features of fight­ing heath and moor­land fires.