Firefighters hailing from Bonn, Düsseldorf, Leverkusen, Königswinter, and Ratingen embark on journey to combat forest fires in Spain.
German Forest Fire Module Assists in Containing Wildfire Threat Near San Ciprian, Spain
A wildfire that broke out over the weekend spread southwards, threatening the village of San Ciprian in Spain. In an effort to mitigate the threat, the German Forest Fire Module was deployed to the area on August 26, 2025.
The German forces, consisting of firefighters and specialized equipment, visited the Spanish cities of La Baña and Vitoria-Gasteiz during their operations on Monday and Tuesday. They were deployed in San Ciprian, located south of La Baña, to assist in the fight against the severe wildfires.
With hoses, hand tools, and the use of tactical fire, the deployment forces worked alongside Spanish special forces, numerous firefighting aircraft and helicopters, and the local Fire and Rescue Service Bonn. Control lines several meters wide were created in the hills using bulldozers to stop the approaching fire.
On Tuesday, terrain-capable tanker trucks were deployed along the control lines to further contain the fire. Due to the hilly terrain, the deployment forces were on standby in San Ciprian while the village was evacuated.
In the afternoon on August 26, the German forces withdrew, having helped to stop the fire at designated points. This withdrawal mitigated the threat to the village of San Ciprian.
Upon crossing the border into Germany, the sub-units will continue their journey home to Lower Saxony and the involved NRW cities independently. The German Forest Fire Module is planning to return to Germany on Wednesday morning in a convoy.
The return journey will take three days, including overnight stays in northern Spain and the Paris region. The German representative in Spain will bid farewell to the unit before they depart.
For further inquiries, please contact the Fire and Rescue Service Bonn Press Office. The contact details are: Frank Frenser, telephone: +49 228 7170, website: www.bonn.de/feuerwehr.
