Vast German wildfire forces evacuation in Eifel forest
Hundreds of people had to leave a village near the Hürtgenwald as a wildfire approached. Firefighters say they're unlikely to be able to return today amid high temperatures, humidity and wind. DW has the latest.
A massive forest fire in the Eifel region of Germany has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents, marking the largest blaze ever recorded in North Rhine-Westphalia. The fire, which began in Hürtgenwald forest near the Belgian border, quickly spread and now covers at least 200 hectares. Over 2,000 people were evacuated from the village of Gey, located just 300 meters from the spreading flames.
Despite efforts by 1,400 firefighters and authorities, the situation remains precarious as winds and hot weather conditions could potentially worsen the fire's spread. While no homes have been lost, the evacuation order for Gey is expected to remain in effect throughout the day. Firefighters are optimistic about the situation stabilizing, with temperatures expected to drop over the weekend and a chance of light rain.
The German state premier has cut his vacation short to oversee the emergency response, and authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, appealing for public assistance in providing photos or videos from the area at the time of ignition.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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