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High risk of forest fires in Hesse: warning levels are rising! How to protect yourself!
Current forest fire danger in Groß-Gerau: High risks due to dryness and heat - understand the warning levels and measures.
High risk of forest fires in Hesse: warning levels are rising! How to protect yourself!
What's going on in the forests of Hesse? Currently the motto is clearly: be careful! Today, June 14, 2025, the Forest Fire Danger Index reports a high risk of wildfires in 14 forests in the country. The reason: The combination of high temperatures, lack of precipitation and an increased number of visitors to the forests endangers nature and people's safety. [news.de].
- Enkheimer Wald
- Frankfurter Stadtwald
- Mittelforst
- Niedwald
- Oberforst
- Oberhübnerwald
- Schwanheimer Wald
- Sensfelder Tanne
- Staatswald Groß-Gerau
- Stadtwald Hofheim
- Steinerwald
- Unterwald
- Wenigumstadter Wald
- Westwald
Particularly important to know: resinous conifers are more susceptible to fire than mixed or deciduous forests. The weather also plays a crucial role: Current measurements show that air humidity and soil moisture are low and no significant precipitation is expected in the coming days. Air temperatures and wind conditions affect the risk of a rapid fire. The forecasts indicate a decrease in winds, which is a relief, but the danger remains high. One thing is clear: the forest fire season in Germany lasts from the beginning of March to the end of September and is particularly dangerous in the months of April to June.
Alert levels and warnings
The Hessian Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Agriculture and Consumer Protection has set up alert levels that are important not only for the forest areas, but also for the departments affected. Alert level A means a high risk of forest fires in Hesse or parts of it. At this stage, measures are taken such as increased monitoring by the HessenForst state agency in order to monitor endangered areas more intensively. This includes checking access routes, extinguishing water extraction points and informing the population landwirtschaft.hessen.de.
Currently, more than half of the measuring stations in Hesse report a forest fire index of at least 3, which represents a medium to high risk. For comparison, the wildfire index is expressed on a five-level scale, ranging from very low risk (level 1) to extremely high risk (level 5). At warning level 4, parking spaces and tourist facilities can be closed, while at level 5, entry bans are necessary for affected areas. These classifications not only help the responsible authority to react quickly, but also inform the population in a timely manner about impending risks.
Past and future
The risk of forest fires has increased in Germany in recent years due to extreme weather conditions. While the area of forest fires decreased significantly between 1991 and 2017, there was an increase in fires in 2018 and 2019 due to extreme dryness and heat, especially in the northeastern federal states umweltbundesamt.de. These developments make it clear that forest fires pose a serious threat in many regions, with negligent actions or arson often being among the most common triggers.
Given these developments, it is essential that both authorities and the public remain vigilant and take preventative measures. Preventing and fighting forest fires requires not only education, but also investments in modern technologies for early detection and protection of forests so that summer in Hesse does not turn into a fiery devil.