Officers from the police object protection discovered the first flames of the fire on the blasting site in Grunewald on Thursday night. They knew immediately what to do. But what if, as a walker in the forests of Berlin and Brandenburg, you see the first signs of a forest fire?
Here, the Vice President of the Brandenburg Fire Brigade Association, Daniel Brose, gives ten tips on how to behave in an emergency:
1. Keep calm. Call the fire department on the emergency number 112.
2. Describe exactly where the fire is located. If you can, give mobile phone coordinates: This is the quickest way for the emergency services to find the fire.
3. Flee away from the fire. Never move towards the fire.
4. Do not try to delete yourself. Exception: The fire is so small that it can still be kicked out by itself.
5. Watch the smoke rise and walk upwind if possible. This way you breathe in less smoke and avoid the fire following you.
6. Always stay on the trails.
7. Warn other passers-by.
8. Observe prohibition signs and under no circumstances enter restricted areas as these could be polluted.
9. Protect yourself from smoke with a wet cloth in front of your mouth.
10. Try to reach a road or a lake. Get as far away from the fire as possible.
Bonus tip: Watch out for the wildfire levels. For levels 3 and 4, do not enter the forest. This is the best way to avoid a hazard.
