By Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
By Robert Richards, AccuWeather meteorologist
August 26, 2018, 10:32:39 AM EDT
A large and dangerous wildfire broke out to the southwest of Berlin on Thursday and continued to burn into Friday.
The blaze has forced the evacuation of several villages, totaling more than 500 people, with little or no notice and sent smoke billowing into Berlin, home to more than 3 million people.
More than 600 firefighters along with aid from helicopters continued to battle the blaze on Friday, according to Deutsche Welle.
A forest is light by wildfires near the village Klausdorf, about 85 kilometers (53 miles) south of Berlin on Friday, Aug. 24, 2018. (Patrick Pleul/dpa via AP)
Winds are expected to increase again early this week creating additional hazards for any lingering fires. Residents should pay attention to local authorities regarding any information about the fires.
A police water cannon sprays water into a forest near Treuenbrietzen, south of Berlin, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018 after a fire the size of an area of several hundred soccer fields caught fire. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)
Firefighters have had to deal with exploding World War II ammunition that remains buried within the burning forests making the situation even more difficult to control.
“We’ve had forest fires before but never of this magnitude,” said Treuenbrietzen Mayor Michael Knappe.
The smoke blew into Berlin Thursday night sending some residents into a panic when they awoke to the smell of smoke in their homes.
The smoke is also creating poor air quality in the region which could adversely affect children and the elderly as well as anyone that spends lengthy periods of time outdoors.
Aside from creating poor air quality, the fire has affected rail traffic in the region. No impacts to the major airports of the region have occurred thus far.
A long, dry summer has resulted in more than 400 wildfires across Germany, and the risk for additional fires will remain high in the coming months as drier-than-normal weather is expected from September into October across the region.
No comments:
Post a Comment