German Firefighters Contain Record Hürtgen Forest Blaze With 1,400 Personnel as WWII Ordnance Threat Persists
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 15
German Firefighters Contain Record Hürtgen Forest Blaze With 1,400 Personnel as WWII Ordnance Threat Persists
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 15
Summary
1,400 firefighters made major progress overnight in bringing North Rhine-Westphalia’s largest recorded forest fire under control, shifting operations in the Hürtgen Forest from a "real struggle" on Friday to what officials called controlled work.
Three helicopters were already dropping water, seven more were expected, and German army recovery vehicles cut wider firebreaks overnight to stop the main blaze spreading into new areas.
WWII ammunition buried in the forest has complicated the response, with some rounds exploding in the heat and officials unable to send individual firefighters into parts of the hard-to-access terrain.
2,300 residents of Gey remain evacuated as a precaution, other nearby villages were told to conserve water, and five injuries have been reported, including four responders.
Northern winds were strengthening Saturday morning, leaving the fire’s next moves uncertain as Germany battles multiple wildfires amid exceptional summer heat and drought.