Officials in north-west Germany have declared a disaster over a wildfire triggered two weeks ago by a rocket test on an army training site.

Authorities in the Emsland region were considering ordering the evacuation of about 1,000 people from two villages near Meppen, near the Dutch border.

Firefighters have been struggling to contain the blaze on moorland used by the German army for training exercises. Smoke has spread across 62 miles and is visible on satellite images.

By declaring a disaster, local authorities can request assistance from outside the region.

The defence ministry spokesman, Jens Flosdorff, said the situation was very serious and apologised for any mistakes made. He said the defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, planned to visit the site Saturday.