A forest fire in the Harz Mountains in northern Germany has been completely extinguished after days of firefighting efforts in rugged terrain, local authorities reported on Wednesday.
The fire broke out on Friday on the Königsberg, a side peak of the Brocken, the highest mountain in the predominantly flat north of Germany.
Officials in the nearby town of Wernigerode reported on Wednesday that firefighters are now being withdrawn and equipment will be dismantled in the coming days.
An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire.
At times the fire front had spread over a length of more than 1 kilometre in very difficult terrain. Also during the operation there were several aircraft and helicopters in the air, including those of the German army and the police.
Only the change in weather and the rain made the situation better since Sunday evening.
Sparks have been spotted repeatedly in recent days as firefighters worked on foot to extinguish the last remnants of the fire.
