Once one is in the graveyard, the most dangerous part of life is probably over. On the other hand, a whole new danger is dawning just where there is supposed to be peace and quiet. At least one representative of the Association of Cemetery Administrators in Germany has now warned of this. Incidentally, an association based in a town called Aschersleben, presumably because of the continuing trend towards cremation. And it is precisely this trend that increases the insecurity in the cemeteries. So this is dangerous. Fire hazard even.
To paraphrase the representatives of the Cemetery Administrators Association, it can all be roughly explained as follows: With the trend towards cremation, the remains of the deceased are stored in urn walls to save space and are easy to care for, which is why there are ever larger gaps in the rows of earthen graves. And of course no one left behind comes to the gaps to water the flowers. If it is dry for a while, the danger clearly emanates from the more frequented burial sites, but then jumps over to these deserted areas. So please: feel free to water, but be careful with the grave candles!
Of course, the danger is not limited to conventionally subdivided cemeteries. Such a fire can even turn into a forest fire, especially in forest cemeteries or in forest cemeteries. This was recently pointed out by the city of Würzburg, for example, whose cemetery administration had repeatedly encountered scorched leaves around certain burial trees at the local forest cemetery. In view of this, the city refers to “§ 23 Para. 2 Letter d) of the cemetery statute”, according to which “candles in particular are not allowed” on those natural graves and threatens criminal proceedings in the worst case.
The market town of Altdorf near Landshut, in which apparently “small fires at burial sites have already occurred several times”, pointed out two years ago that not only the wax of burning candles could melt in the summer heat, but also the plastic cover, which is why a Widespread fire threatened by leaking wax.
The dead don’t care. Eternal light shines on them, regardless of the specific illuminant. And a ugly diode lights up temporarily.