German firefighters gain ground against Hürtgen Forest blaze

The largest forest fire ever recorded in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia is being brought under control, officials said on Saturday, as some 1,400 firefighters worked to stem the blaze in the Hürtgen Forest.

"The night was good," Düren district administrator Ralf Nolten told dpa in the morning, citing much progress in containing the record fire since Friday. The current situation is incomparable to that of the previous day, he said.

"Yesterday morning there was a real struggle, and now it is controlled work."

German army units used armoured recovery vehicles to cut more wide firebreaks into the area overnight to prevent the main fire from spreading to other areas.

As on Friday, several firefighting helicopters were to drop large quantities of water on the flames again on Saturday.

District spokesman Ingo Latotzki told dpa that three helicopters were currently in use and seven more were expected, with a total of 1,400 personnel now deployed. Police water cannons are also being used.

However, the district pointed out this morning that winds are picking up from the north and it was unclear how these would affect the situation.

The village of Gey will remain evacuated as a precautionary measure, following the relocation of its 2,300 residents to safety. Residents of several other villages were advised to use water sparingly.

Threat from unexploded WWII ordnance

Fire-fighting efforts have been complicated by the threat of explosions from ordnance still buried in the forest from World War II.

The area was the scene of heavy fighting between German and US troops in 1944-45 during the Ardennes counter-offensive, also known as the Battle of the Bulge.

"The site is very difficult to access, and because of the high concentration of ammunition, we cannot send individual firefighters in with firefighting backpacks either," Nolten said earlier, adding that some of the rounds have exploded due to the heat.

The cause of the fire is not known, but police have set up a portal for witnesses to submit tips. Five injuries have been reported, including an elderly person who suffered heart issues during the evacuation and four emergency responders.

Germany, like many countries in the European Union and the United Kingdom, is currently fighting forest fires in different locations due to the exceptional summer heat and drought.