Overview
- Organisers, pyrotechnicians and the Herner Berufsfeuerwehr decided on Sunday to cancel the planned 22:30 fireworks after an on‑site safety assessment.
- They cited ongoing drought conditions across the region and a spike in recent local and state fires as the primary reasons for the last‑minute call.
- The fair drew large crowds despite heat, with organisers reporting about 3.475 million visitors through Saturday and an expectation of just under four million overall.
- Authorities described the event as largely peaceful, recording roughly 140 police operations, 32 fire‑department deployments and about 600 aid cases handled by the Red Cross.
- Because extreme heat hit weekday attendance and worker safety, organisers have opened an intensive review of weekday start times with the option of moving Monday–Thursday openings to 14:00 from 2027 to ease midday exposure.