Firefighters from Bonn, Düsseldorf, Leverkusen, Königswinter, and Ratingen are en route to battle forest fires in Spain.
The German Forest Fire Module, consisting of firefighters from North Rhine-Westphalia, has successfully completed its deployment in San Ciprian, Spain, after two weeks of assisting in the fight against wildfires.
On August 26, 2025, the German Forest Fire Module was deployed near the village of San Ciprian, south of La Baña, Spain. The fire from the weekend had spread towards San Ciprian, threatening the village. Due to the hilly terrain, the deployment forces were on standby in San Ciprian while the village was evacuated. Spanish special forces, numerous firefighting aircraft and helicopters provided support in fighting the fire.
Control lines several meters wide were created in the hills using bulldozers to stop the approaching fire. With hoses, hand tools, and the use of tactical fire by Spanish deployment forces, the fire was stopped at the designated points. Despite the success, the exact status of the fire outside these points is not specified.
On Tuesday, the deployment forces were deployed at the control lines with terrain-capable tanker trucks. No further firefighting operations are planned by the German Forest Fire Module in San Ciprian or La Baña, Spain.
The return journey of the German Forest Fire Module is scheduled for Wednesday morning. The convoy will travel through northern Spain and the Paris area, with overnight stays at undisclosed locations. The journey is expected to take three days.
Before the return journey, the German representative in Spain will bid farewell to the unit. The exact time and location of the farewell event are not specified. Upon return, the firefighters will disperse to their home locations in NRW to resume their regular duties and begin cleaning and restoring equipment. The return location in Germany was not specified beyond their home stations in NRW.
After crossing the border into Germany, the subunits will continue their journey home to Lower Saxony and participating NRW cities independently. Contact details for further questions about the German Forest Fire Module's withdrawal are available at the Fire and Rescue Service Bonn Press Office.
The deployment of the German Forest Fire Module in San Ciprian, Spain, has been completed, marking the end of a successful mission to help combat wildfires in the region.
