World News | Wildfires in Eastern Germany Injure Firefighters, Force Evacuations
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Wildfires eastern Germany have severely injured two firefighters and forced the evacuation of more than 100 residents.
Berlin, Jul 3 (AP) Wildfires eastern Germany have severely injured two firefighters and forced the evacuation of more than 100 residents.
Nearly 500 firefighters were battling the fires that broke out Tuesday in Gohrischheide on the border between the eastern states of Saxony and Brandenburg.
One female and one male firefighter suffered burns and were seriously injured.
The fires have burned hundreds of hectares (miles) and were still not under control Thursday and a state police helicopter equipped with special cameras to detect pockets of embers was deployed, German news agency dpa reported.
Firefighters were having difficulty getting close to the flames because parts of the wildfires were on a former military training area where there is a risk of ammunition detonating.
The villages of Heidehäuser and Neudorf and parts of the village of Lichtensee were evacuated. Residents received mobile phone alerts directing them to only take essentials, especially identification and cash. The notice advised them to inform neighbours and “cover your mouth and nose with improvised respiratory protection (cloth, piece of clothing, surgical mask)."
District officials called on people travelling by car to avoid the region.
Severe heat in Germany and elsewhere across Europe in recent days has plagued residents and led to several wildfires across the continent. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)