Firefighting crews from Bonn, Düsseldorf, Leverkusen, Königswinter, and Ratingen are en route to Spain to address and extinguish a spreading forest fire.
In the heart of Spain, a large forest fire in the province of Extremadura has been successfully contained, thanks in part to the assistance of the German Wildfire Module from Bonn.
On Wednesday, a day shift of approximately 20 personnel, along with 7 fire engines, were deployed to combat the blaze. The Base of Operations was set up on a soccer field of a local sports centre in Aldaenueva del Camino, Spain. After around 9 hours of strenuous work, mainly with hand tools, the personnel returned. Hotspots were searched for and extinguished, and control lines were created with hand tools, using axes, picks, and shovels.
The following day, on Thursday, the effort doubled, with two groups of around 40 personnel and 8 fire engines working together. Tactical fires (backfires) have been used by Spanish forces to contain the fire. Night deployments, however, were not an option due to the difficult terrain.
On Friday, August 22, 2025, the German wildfire module from Bonn was deployed in the province of Extremadura. The team, including leadership personnel, terrain-capable fire trucks, command and support units, arrived at 19:00 on August 21. The personnel worked on the southwest flank of the forest fire, searching for and extinguishing hotspots in difficult terrain due to changing, gusty winds.
The goal of this multinational EU support effort, which also involved forces from France, Finland, and Slovakia, was to prevent a renewed outbreak of the affected areas. The fire's spread has been halted due to continuous ground and aerial firefighting efforts.
As the situation evolves, the deployment sites will be handed over to the local authorities, and the German Wildfire Module's deployment area for the following day will be defined in the morning.
For inquiries, the Fire and Rescue Service Bonn can be contacted at +49 228 7170, and their website is www.bonn.de/feuerwehr. The Fire and Rescue Service Bonn Press Office can also be reached for further information.
The forest fire in the province of Extremadura has been successfully contained, marking a significant victory in the ongoing battle against wildfires.
