A major forest fire has been raging in Germany's Harz mountains since Friday, with over 500 people now having been ordered to evacuate from the area.
German firefighters, supported by air resources, escalated their efforts on Saturday to tackle a sizeable forest fire in the country’s central mountains, resulting in hundreds of people’s evacuation.
The fire on Brocken mountain's flank, the area's highest peak at 1,142 metres, expanded overnight and remained uncontrolled as of Saturday afternoon. According to local reports, full containment is not expected for several days.
The first rainfall in the region, which may assist firefighting efforts, is not predicted until late Sunday or early Monday. This fire emerged from multiple smaller fires merging to form a significant front, but the cause remains uncertain.
Over 150 firefighters are currently tackling the fire, with support from a helicopter and an aircraft, and additional aerial assistance is expected by Saturday afternoon.
The area's challenging accessibility is hindering ground-based firefighting efforts. More helicopters have been requested from the military and police, with the authorities indicating a further three planes and another helicopter would join the efforts later.
Hikers and tourists were urged to leave the area. The local television network, NDR, reported that 500 people were evacuated by bus on Friday afternoon.
Operations coordinator Jerry Grunau told local media that the situation is more challenging than a large fire that occurred in the area two years ago.
There was a significant forest fire in the Harz mountains in September 2022. Authorities declared a state of emergency at that time, and hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze for days.
In Saxony-Anhalt, home to the Harz mountains, there is currently a high risk of forest fires. Various others are already burning in different locations across the state, including Oranienbaum, where firefighters prevented a 51-hectare fire from spreading last night.
