Massive Wildfires Rage into Third Day in Eastern Germany Amid Europe Heatwave

📰 Massive Wildfires Rage into Third Day in Eastern Germany Amid Europe Heatwave
🗓️ July 3, 2025
📍 Gorisheide, Saxony, Germany

📄 Large wildfires that started on July 1 in Gorisheide, Saxony, continue to burn for the third consecutive day, having consumed approximately 1,000 hectares—equivalent to 1,400 football fields.

The fires have spread northwards towards Brandenburg, driven by strong winds, prompting disaster warnings in three local administrative districts. Hundreds of residents have been evacuated, and two firefighters sustained injuries due to burns.

The wildfire has also encroached upon a former military training ground containing unexploded ordnance, complicating firefighting efforts.

Germany’s Meteorological Service raised the wildfire risk index to the highest level 5 in parts of eastern Germany, citing ongoing high temperatures and dry conditions.

The heatwave peaked on July 2, fueled by hot and dry air masses originating from the Mediterranean near North Africa, spreading across the Iberian Peninsula, France, and central Europe.

In Langenlgrasse, Brandenburg, temperatures soared to 39.9°C (103.8°F).

The continuing heatwave and dry conditions are likely to exacerbate wildfire risks in the region for the coming days, challenging emergency response teams and heightening the threat to local communities.

🔗 Reported from Berlin – World News Environmental Desk

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