Trend summary
- 329 people died from smoke, fire and flames in 2023, less than half the toll of 1980; smoke alarms are now compulsory in every federal state.
- Fire damage is getting more expensive: insurers paid €2.2 billion for about 320,000 home and building fire claims in 2024, and 21 fires cost over €20 million each in 2023.
- Forest fires burned 2,626 hectares in 2025, the fourth-highest area since 1991, led by the Gohrischheide fire in Saxony.
Fewer deaths, costlier firesHome fires
329 fire deaths in 2023; smoke alarms in 77% of owner-occupied homes.
Costs risingBuilding fires
€1.7 billion in large fire losses in 2023 (provisional).
Burned area risingWildfires (forest fires)
1,175 forest fires and 2,626 hectares burned in 2025.
How this page is built. Figures come from the official statistical releases linked above; where agencies publish provisional numbers we say so, because they are revised. German statistics are often published separately by each federal state (Land) and some only in German, so we say which area and period each figure covers and translate titles. Photos are public-domain or Creative Commons images credited in each caption; file photos are illustrative and are not from the events described unless the caption says so. This page tracks trends and is not personal safety, medical, legal or financial advice.