Fire brigade association wants more helicopters to fight forest fires

Berlin – Fire departments in Germany are warning of a need to catch up on their capabilities for fighting forest fires. "We especially need to upgrade our air support," said Karl-Heinz Banse, President of the German Fire Brigade Association, to the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" (Friday edition). The number of helicopters that can be used for firefighting, in particular, needs to be increased. Initial steps in this direction have already been taken. "Due to the landscape in Germany, firefighting aircraft cannot be deployed everywhere. But helicopters can reach almost anywhere. And in case of emergency, they can also rescue people and transport materials," said the association head. As an example, he cited mobile fire pumps that could be dropped onto a mountain by helicopter in the event of another forest fire in the Harz Mountains. The responsible Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) recently reported that 563 forest fires were recorded last year. Approximately 334 hectares of forest burned. Human-caused global warming is exacerbating conditions that favor forest fires, such as prolonged droughts and heat waves. In Germany, the number of hot days has tripled since the 1950s, to an average of 11.5 hot days per year. If greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, Berlin, for example, faces between 20 and 35 hot days per year between 2071 and 2100. By adhering to the Paris climate goals, the number of hot days can be limited to an average of ten to 16 per year.