German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to visit a wildfire-hit region in western Germany on Saturday, two days after the blaze was fully extinguished, in his first public appearance since his summer break.
Merz is due to travel to Hürtgenwald in the Eifel region to thank emergency crews and receive an update on the response to what the state government described as the largest forest fire in the history of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The blaze was declared extinguished on Thursday after burning for a week.
Merz had previously thanked emergency workers on X for their "tireless" efforts, which he said had often pushed them to the point of exhaustion.
His last public appearance was on July 29. Since then, the chancellor has largely communicated through written statements or government spokespeople.
His absence during a recent heatwave drew criticism from the opposition, which accused him of failing to do enough to address the effects of climate change.