Hundreds of firefighters battle blazes in Germany and Czech Republic

Firefighters tackle a fire in the Ceske Svycarsko (Czech Switzerland) National Park, above the village of Hrensko, Czech Republic (Hajek Vojtech/CTK via AP)

Hundreds of firefighters are battling wildfires in eastern Germany and neighbouring Czech Republic amid evacuations in tourist regions and residential areas.

A large wildfire was spreading quickly in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, in a region with lots of bone-dry pine forests where firefighters have to be especially careful because of old Second World War ammunition that is still buried there, German news agency dpa reported.