A forest fire burning in the Müritz National Park in northern Germany has spread to over 380 hectares and the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) has been called in to help extinguish it. This was reported by the DPA news agency, citing a spokesman for the Mecklenburg Lake District.
According to the spokesman, the forest fire has now reached approximately 388 hectares. Approximately 370 people, including firefighters, police, forest workers and soldiers, are working to put out the fire. This is an increase from the previous evening. The spokesman explained that the fire spread due to a lack of rainfall.
Westerly winds, which are further fanning the flames, are creating an additional problem. Windy conditions are expected to push the fire east and southeast over the weekend.
The fire was reported on Monday. Authorities have already evacuated nearby villages several times. Firefighting efforts are being complicated by the fact that the area of the disaster is a former Soviet military training ground contaminated with unexploded ordnance. Bundeswehr helicopters are expected to resume firefighting efforts by the afternoon, unless a thunderstorm develops. According to emergency services, firefighters are fighting the fire in the eastern part of the outbreak, as this area is safe from munitions and accessible to ground forces.
The Müritz National Park covers an area of 322 square kilometers, about the size of the city of Munich. Three-quarters of the forested area here is pine forest. The park also contains 107 lakes, including part of Lake Müritz itself. Between 1945 and 1993, the Soviet Army used part of the land in the current nature reserve as a military training ground.