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Germany Battles Massive Eastern Wildfires and Probes Weekend Surge in Garage and Field Fires

Emergency forces worn thin by expanding forest fires are relying on forecast showers to gain the upper hand.

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Overview

  • Hundreds of firefighters, helicopters and Bundeswehr vehicles remain deployed against uncontrolled blazes in the Gohrischheide and on the Saalfelder Höhe.
  • Disaster declarations cover parts of Saxony, Brandenburg and Thuringia as crews wrestle with wind-driven flare-ups and difficult terrain littered with unexploded ordnance.
  • Vehicle fires in underground garages at Norderstedt, Wedel and a courtyard blaze in Altona have been extinguished and are now under police investigation for possible arson or negligence.
  • A 120,000 m² field fire near Celle sparked by children playing with a lighter was contained, and a 35 ha blaze in Obernaundorf forced about 35 residents to evacuate before crews brought it under control.
  • Meteorologists warn that brief heat waves and patchy rainfall have extended Germany’s tinder-dry wildfire season, prompting officials to urge strict adherence to open-flame bans.