Forest fires have been a feature of this summer of extremes. The fires in North Rhine-Westphalia have received a great deal of attention. But fires have also broken out in various locations in the neighboring state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Among other places, between Kemmenau and Bad Ems, where the Emser Bike Park has been in operation since 2014.

“There was a fire here. Not just once, but twice—and then a third time,” says Horst Hohn, founder of the Emser Bikepark, in a video on Instagram. A 40-meter stretch of the Northshore trail was destroyed in the uppermost section. Further down, however, the trail acted as a firebreak, preventing the fire from spreading across the trail.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Emser Bikepark (@emserbikepark)

Third Fire Breaks Out During Cleanup Efforts

The third fire is particularly noteworthy. According to the Trailcrew, it broke out as they were clearing away the charred remains of the Northshores. Two days after the second fire had been extinguished, embers reportedly reignited, as reported by the news portal 56aktuell. The fire department was able to extinguish the flames quickly—partly because the volunteers were on site when this third fire broke out and reacted promptly.

The course is now open again starting at Section 3. To rebuild the destroyed ramps, the Ems Gymnastics Club, which operates the course, has launched a fundraising campaign.