Wildfires in Germany continue to rage

Fire engines make their way through the evacuated village of Volzrade near Lübtheen. After a quiet night in the forest fire areas of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, there was good news for the residents: The situation had eased to such an extent that they were able to return to their homes. The responsible district administrator said that the flames were "largely under control."

Smoke and flames rise into the sky: Fires had broken out at two former military training areas in southwestern Mecklenburg on Monday. Near Lübtheen, about 100 hectares of forest were already burning by Tuesday. The second fire near Hagenow in the Viezer Heide affected about 45 hectares of forest due to gusty winds.

Ammunition is stored in the ground on former military sites is making the situation particularly precarious, which is why they have been sealed off. A Bundeswehr tank had to clear a wide path around the fire to contain the burn area. Helicopters with extinguishing water also tried to bring the blaze under control. For now, the fires have not spread any further.

In addition to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, other German states are affected by forest fires. The former military training area in Jüterbog, Brandenburg, has been burning since the end of May — here, a helicopter is taking on water to extinguish the fire. The fire south of Berlin initially calmed down last weekend, but flared up again on Monday.

Here, too, ammunition stored in the ground makes firefighting difficult. The hope is that either rain will help to put out the fires or that they gradually die out. The head of the Jüterbog public order office, Christiane Lindner-Klopsch, said on Wednesday that "the situation is not yet under control." About 733 hectares of forest have been affected by the fire.

On Monday, a forest fire broke out on the Altkönig ("old king") mountain near Frankfurt am Main. According to the Hochtaunuskreis district authorities, it was allowed to "burn down in a controlled manner." Four hectares of forest were in flames and more than 200 firefighters were deployed. The Altkönig is the second-highest mountain in the Taunus.

Some embers are still smoldering: On the border between Bavaria and Thuringia, about two hectares of a forest area caught fire on Tuesday. Within a few hours, the fire department managed to get the fires under control.

Temperatures in Germany remain above 30 degrees Centigrade (86 degrees Fahrenheit). After a wet spring, it has not rained in many regions of Germany for weeks. As a result, the risk of forest fires remains high, according to the German Weather Service (DWD), especially in the northeast. The top layers of the ground are dust-dry in many places, says the DWD.