Only some 30 centimetres probably prevented a routine fire-fighting operation from turning into a major disaster. Because if the fire that had started on Friday evening above the Konrad Adenauer House in Rhöndorf had spread that much further, a huge explorion could have blindsided the firefighters, severely injuring many members of the Bad Honnef fire brigade.

"We were so lucky up there," one of the responders told the GA. "We found so much ordnance up there with live ammunition, hundreds of rounds of all sizes, hand grenades and so on."

According to GA information, the highly explosive material was merely stored covered under a tarpaulin in the open air behind the main house. Other military paraphernalia was piled up in a hut. It is there that the fire is said to have broken out for yet unknown reasons. It spread like lightning to the neighbouring woodland. In the end, about three hectares of land were in flames.

At first, everything looked like a routine operation: The fire department had deployed a large contingent at around 5.45 p.m. on Friday after several residents had reported smoke. The fire spread quickly, though, and more and more forces were dispatched until all Bad Honnef untils were on the scene. The first task was to get enough water to the fire, which was difficult to access, and it took some time before hoses were rolled out over some 800 metres. The firefighters concentrated on the flames in the forest in order to stop the fire from spreading even further. The shed where the fire had probably started was left to burn down in a controlled manner.

At this point, the firefighters had no idea that there were large quantities of ammunition and other explosives inside the hut and under the tarpaulin only a few metres away. It was only when there were several small denotations inside and next to the hut that they began to suspect trouble. They managed to stop the flames and thus avert the danger of a larger explosion.

Experts from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service were called in while the fire fighters were still in action, and a closer investigation of the scene revealed a considerable number of military supplies. As the GA learned, the site is said to belong to a local historian who is primarily concerned with the history of Bad Honnef at the time of the Second World War. "The man is definitely a collector of militaria," police spokesman Robert Scholten confirmed in an interview with the GA on Saturday evening.

The man's home has been visited several times by the public order department in the past. Scholten confirmed that the house owner was admitted to a clinic on Friday evening because of "mental health issues". In the meantime, the police have seized the site and the public prosecutor's office has been called in. The investigation has been taken over by officers of the specialised police department of the Bonn police.

According to Scholten, together with experts from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service, they will begin cataloguing and assessing the explosive ordnance found on Monday. Afterwards, the ammunition is to be removed. "However, this may take a long time because of the large quantity," Scholten said. In the meantime, employees of the public order office have taken over guarding the site. According to the police spokesperson, the explosives no longer poses a danger.

(Original text: Michael Wrobel and Ralf Klodt)

Many visitors sought and found direct contact with energy companies on Saturday at an information and advice event hosted by the City of Bonn on Münsterplatz on the occasion of the Bonn Energy Days, which run until 9 September.

A total of 17 institutions from the fields of energy, building, housing, climate protection and the environment were represented with information stands. Employees of the companies were available all day to answer visitors' individual questions. Tradespeople from the fields of heating and insulation offered free consultations, as did energy experts.

There was particularly high demand for expert advice on energy-efficient building and renovation, tips on setting up photovoltaic systems and protection against heavy rain. Contact persons from the City of Bonn gave tips on obtaining subsidies for photovoltaic systems and greening buildings.

The event organisers had also thought of the youngest visitors: girls and boys showed a lot of creativity in building solar boats. The Bonn Energy Days were launched in 1996, at that time still under the name Solar Week. For several years now, the city has focused on climate protection in construction and housing.

At this year's event, the current increase in energy prices and ways to save energy were also much discussed topics. "We as a city are aware of the difficult situation Bonners are in with the energy crisis," said Mayor Katja Dörner. The city itself has managed to save 15 per cent gas and electricity in municipal buildings. "It's really worth looking at where you can save electricity," Dörner said.

Together with representatives of energy companies and the district trade association (Kreishandwerkerschaf), she took part in a walk around Bonn's Energy Days on Saturday lunchtime. In the process, the Lord Mayor also got into conversation with Volker Butzbach from the Bonn Energy Agency, who gave the visitors tips on sustainable insulation of buildings.

"I would like to see not only window insulation but also the façade of the house being more strongly focused on for renovation," said Butzbach. He also gave his partners an important hint: "It helps a lot to optimise the heating settings," Butzbach emphasised.

Since the need for advice and renovation has increased recently, the subsidies for individual renovation projects had to be reduced. However, many visitors were not even aware that there is, for example, a 15% subsidy for exterior wall insulation or a gas bonus for heating systems older than ten years. The City of Bonn has also set up a subsidy programme for greening buildings.

The visitors were happy to accept somewhat longer waiting times at the information stands for individual advice, as they would otherwise have to wait much longer: "We currently have a two-month waiting time for an appointment," reports Tina Enderer from the Bonn Energy Agency.

The free information event was a highlight of the Bonn Energy Days, which will run for a fortnight until 9 September.

(Original text: Sebastian Flick)

After an 85-year-old hiker was reported missing at Drachenfels on Friday, a police helicopter spotted a person in the slope above the vineyards near Drachenfelsstrasse during the night. It was the missing senior citizen.

The fire brigades from Rhöndorf and Bad Honnef were on the scene with a special department for fall protection. The 85-year-old, who was slightly injured, was lowered from the slope with the help of a basket stretcher and handed over to the rescue service.

The man, who is known to have health problems, had set out for a hike on the Drachenfels on Friday morning. At around 12.30 a.m., he called relatives to say that he had become entangled in a thorn bush, and the police initiated the first search. Later, the hiker contacted his relatives again, saying that he was now on his way back home and wanted to keep an appointment in the afternoon.

However, the 85-year-old did not show up for this appointment and, according to the police, did not return home later. As danger to the man could not be ruled out, the police extended their search measures on Friday afternoon.

The night-time operation lasted about two hours. It is not currently known how exactly the man got into this predicament.

(Translations: Jean Lennox)