Heat alarm in Westmecklenburg: fields and machines in flames!

Heat alarm in Westmecklenburg: fields and machines in flames!

The extreme temperatures in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania not only not only make people sweat, they also endanger the harvest and transform fields on fire. On July 2, 2025, there were several devastating fires that have a direct connection with the continuing heat and drought. A fire broke out in a field with winter barley in Finkenwerder near Goldberg for late afternoon, with about seven hectares being affected. The clouds of smoke were even visible to Mestlin, which was around 15 kilometers away, such as [Tagesschau.de] (https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/mecklenburgvorpommern/wegen-hitze-hre-braende-in-westmecklenburg, Mvregioschwerin-344.html).

on site, seven volunteer fire brigades with a total of 54 firefighters moved to keep the impending disaster at bay. In Northwest Mecklenburg, the situation came to a head: in Steinbeck near Klütz, a fire reached around a field edge and devoured over 500 square meters. Here an enclosed fire was the main danger, and the fire brigades from Boltenhagen, Elmenhorst, Klütz and Kalkhorst had to give everything to extinguish the fire.

harvest in flames

in the middle of the harvest season broke out above all hectic actionism. A fire in Veelböken near Gadebusch was triggered by threshing work when a combine driver noticed the flames and immediately alerted the fire brigade. On the affected cornfield, 100 by 20 meters burned, which demanded a lot of the fire brigades from Mühlen, Gadebusch and Veelböken. A farmer also provided active support in Finkenwerder and pulled a fire on the fire, which was very popular with the emergency services in this critical situation.

in Weselsdorf, also in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, broke out a fire on a forest edge. Here, too, the firefighters were challenged to prevent a larger disaster. Overall, the fire extended over 50 by 5 meters. The fire brigades from Ludwigslust, Techin and Grabow were quickly on hand and were able to extinguish the fire.

the heat and its consequences

These incidents are unfortunately not isolated cases. The current weather conditions with high temperatures and the ongoing drought lead to an increase in the risk of fire and also have a direct impact on the harvest. The agricultural regions such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are particularly affected, where there are already other fires in connection with the harvest. According to a report at the Bauernzeitung Burn combine harvesters and agricultural machines as a result of technical defects or due to the high risk of fire.

The heat not only puts the harvest in danger, but also has health consequences. Destatis emphasizes that the high temperatures and lack of precipitation lead to water shortages, and in recent years the number of hospital treatments has risen sharply due to lack of fluid. This means that summer not only drives the fields, but also presents people and animals with challenges.

The situation remains tense and the emergency services are required to control the fires and protect agriculture. At a time when climate change is becoming increasingly pressing, it can be assumed that such incidents will occur more frequently. It is to be hoped that the coming days will bring improvement and an end to the heat wave is in sight.