What we can do to keep forest fires at bay

A forest fire can happen quickly in dry and hot weather. Often, negligence is to blame. This makes it all the more important to know where the risks are in dry months. Photo: dpa

When the weather gets hot and dry, the risk of potentially devastating forest fires rises.

Climate change has increased the risk in some places. The European Environment Agency (EEA), for example, reports that forest fires coinciding with record droughts and heatwaves in recent years have affected regions in central and northern Europe not typically prone to fires.