A wave of agricultural fires struck Germany and Austria over the weekend, destroying crops and heavy machinery and forcing evacuations as emergency crews battled multiple blazes across both countries.
In Staven, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a 45-hectare barley field fire forced the evacuation of 38 properties before roughly 100 firefighters extinguished the blaze in two hours; two crew members were treated for heat exhaustion. In Aulendorf, Baden-Württemberg, a hay baler caught fire during harvest, eventually resulting in a total loss estimated at €350,000. Separate fires in Fürstenau and Twistringen, Lower Saxony, destroyed a combined 7.5 hectares of harvested fields, while in Alzenau, Bavaria, firefighters extinguished a round baler and stubble field blaze.
On Sunday, a hay baler fire in Anif, Austria, spread to adjacent straw bales, prompting a response from three fire brigades. The causes of most fires remain under investigation.