Hürtgenwald wildfire shows signs of easing; "The night was good," says official

The largest forest fire in North Rhine-Westphalia's history shows signs of easing, with no massive smoke columns now rising from the Hürtgenwald. "The night was good," stated District Administrator Ralf Nolten (CDU) on Friday morning, reporting substantial progress in combating the wildfire.

During the night, the Bundeswehr created wider firebreaks within the affected area, preventing the main fire from spreading to other sections. The number of armored recovery vehicles deployed was also increased from two to four. Nolten anticipates that the same number of helicopters will be in operation as on the previous day.

Nolten expressed hope that the firefighting operations will advance sufficiently to extinguish the large, open flames. He contrasted the current situation with the previous day, stating, "Yesterday morning was a real fight, and now it is controlled work." The focus remains on containing the blaze and preventing further spread, with efforts intensifying to bring the situation under complete control.