Prevention
Responsibility starts before the first spark.
Sensors detect fire. Only people can prevent it. The essentials for anyone who cooks, camps or lights a campfire outdoors — short, honest and without scaremongering.
Where wildfires come from
Germany’s wildfire statistics are more uncomfortable than most people assume — mainly because a large share of fires is never assigned a cause at all.
caused by people: arson and negligence combined.
natural causes — in practice, lightning only.
unknown cause. Almost as much as all known human causes together.
We deliberately do not claim that “90 % of all wildfires are human-caused”. That figure applies EU-wide (EFFIS), or only to the fires whose cause is actually known — for Germany it is not supported. Source for the figures above: Umweltbundesamt, 2024 ↗
The FireSafe checklist
Five questions before and after the fire. Print it, put it in the cool box, tick it off.
FireWatch — The FireSafe checklist
Responsibility starts before the first spark.
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1
Fire site prepared? Allowed in this place? Mineral soil exposed, one metre clear of leaves, needles, roots and dry grass all around. Never on peat or forest floor — it keeps burning underground.
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2
Water within reach? Enough to extinguish completely, not a sip from a bottle. Have it ready before you light the fire, not once it is burning.
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3
Wind checked? Wind carries sparks a long way. Check the national fire danger level; at high levels, no open fire at all.
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4
Fire never left alone? From the first spark to cold ashes, someone stays with it. The embers after dinner are still a fire.
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5
Fire really out? Douse with water, stir, douse again — until the ashes are cold enough to touch with your hand. Soil alone does not smother embers, it insulates them.
Is it burning? 112
Call 112 first, then fight it — and only if you can reach the fire safely without cutting off your escape route. Bigger than a campfire: do not fight it, get out.
What actually helps
- Collapsible water carrier, at least 5 litres.
- Fire blanket — for small incipient fires only, never for people.
- Heat-resistant gloves for pulling embers apart.
- Small folding spade for exposing mineral soil.
- In a camper or car: a 2 kg ABC extinguisher, checked yearly.
https://firewatch.heinemann.media/prevention
If it does catch fire
Call first
Dial 112 immediately. Do not fight the fire first and call afterwards. Give your location as precisely as you can: place, nearest track, coordinates from your phone.
Judge it honestly
Only an incipient fire you can reach safely without trapping yourself. Bigger than a campfire, or wind behind the fire: do not fight it.
Get out safely
Move across the wind direction, downhill, onto made-up tracks. Never into a hollow or a ditch. Warn others, walk towards the emergency services.
112 — The emergency number works across the entire EU, free of charge and without an area code. A fire in the forest always warrants a call, even if you put it out yourself.
Courses & videos
We are preparing two formats: short videos for the trail and in-person courses with local fire brigades and forest owners. Tell us what you need and we will build that first.
Local courses
Two hours with a firefighter or forester: building a fire site, spotting an incipient fire, extinguishing it properly. For campsites, clubs and school classes.
Video guides
Three minutes per skill, playable offline, under a free licence. Later reachable by QR code right at the fire site.
What actually helps
No piece of kit replaces a well-prepared fire site and the fire brigade. If you do carry something, carry these four — they help you extinguish your own fire site, not fight a wildfire.
- ·Collapsible water carrier, at least 5 litres.
- ·Fire blanket — for small incipient fires only, never for people.
- ·Heat-resistant gloves for pulling embers apart.
- ·Small folding spade for exposing mineral soil.
- ·In a camper or car: a 2 kg ABC extinguisher, checked yearly.
FireWatch does not manufacture or sell fire-extinguishing equipment and endorses no particular brand. Germany’s statutory accident insurance now advises non-professionals against fire blankets for fat fires and clothing fires. If you cannot reach a fire safely and keep your escape route, do not fight it — call.
Funding for wildfire prevention
Waldbesitzer und Kommunen können Prävention fördern lassen — wir zeigen, wer was beantragen kann und wo.