At the same time, the fire department and forestry authorities are asking the public to be extra vigilant. Any fire should be reported immediately to the fire department by dialing the emergency number 112, and—if possible—the emergency responders should be guided to the scene. The public is asked to keep all access roads to fields and forests clear. In an emergency, these are essential rescue routes. To protect the forest, smoking is prohibited in the woods year-round. Law enforcement will be stepping up patrols of forested areas.

Organizers of festivals must comply with additional requirements: For example, every barbecue stand must have additional fire extinguishers or filled buckets of water on hand.

Both the Forest Fire Danger Index (WBI) and the Grassland Fire Index (GFI) describe the meteorological potential for forest fire risk and the fire risk to open areas, such as meadows. The fire danger is categorized into five levels: from 1 = very low danger to 5 = very high danger. The WBI and the GFI are used by state authorities responsible for wildfire prevention to assess the risk of wildfires and issue warnings. Warning levels 1 and 2 do not require any measures. At higher warning levels, different measures are taken or mandated: at Level 3, forest barbecue areas are closed; at Level 4, a general ban on barbecuing applies at public barbecue areas; and at Level 5, in addition to the barbecue ban, strict requirements apply to event organizers. Those interested can find more detailed information on the current situation online at wiesbaden.de/waldbrandgefahr (opens in a new tab).