Forest fire on L141 near Wittlich and Salmtal draws 150 emergency crews

A lightning strike on a tree ignited a forest fire on the L141 road between Wittlich and Salmtal on 4 August. The blaze quickly developed into a ground fire covering roughly 1,500–2,000 square metres. Firefighters from the Bernkastel‑Wittlich district and surrounding municipalities, together with the Technical Relief Agency, the German Red Cross, the Malteser service, police units and a drone team, deployed about 150 personnel to the scene.

Specialised equipment was used, including 20‑litre water‑filled fire‑fighting bags, a 15,000‑litre portable water container, a police helicopter from Rhineland‑Palatinate and a remote‑controlled fire‑fighting robot called “Superwolf” supplied by Euro‑Waldbrand. The fire spread slowly and was contained without any reported injuries.