Merz to visit German region where the largest fire in the state's history occurred
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit the Hürtgenwald region in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia on August 22, where a large-scale forest fire lasted for a week. According to Deutsche Welle, the fire in the western Eifel region became the largest blaze in the history of the state.
The fire engulfed the Hürtgenwald area last week and forced the evacuation of residents from entire villages. It was extinguished two days before the chancellor's planned visit.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Merz plans to speak with firefighters, rescuers and volunteers who took part in extinguishing the fire. He is also expected to review the progress of restoration work at the site. Earlier, the chancellor thanked the participants in the operation for their “tireless efforts” in a post on X.
This will be Merz's first public appearance since July 29, when he went on summer vacation. The opposition criticized the chancellor for the lack of a public response during the period of historic fires and prolonged heat, accusing him of not taking climate change seriously enough.
