12 injured as German dry brush fire spreads from tramway

BERLIN – German authorities say a dozen people were injured when brush caught fire near some train tracks and moved quickly to a nearby residential area.

About 300 firefighters were called in to fight the blaze near the town of Siegburg, outside of Bonn in southwestern Germany, the dpa news agency reported Tuesday.

Initially authorities had said a spark from a passing train had likely ignited vegetation dried out during the ongoing heat wave, but later said no cause had been determined and that other possibilities were still being examined.

Eight houses were damaged by the fire and trains running between Cologne and Frankfurt had to be rerouted due to the fire.