Wildfire forces evacuation of 1,800 residents in Hürtgenwald as flames reach 400 meters from homes
A forest fire in the Eifel municipality of Hürtgenwald, North Rhine-Westphalia, has moved to within 400 meters of the Gey district, prompting authorities to order the immediate evacuation of roughly 1,800 residents early on August 14.
Fire approaches residential areas
A forest fire has been burning near the municipality of Hürtgenwald in the district of Düren, North Rhine-Westphalia, since Thursday afternoon. Approximately 25 hectares of woodland are in flames, an area the municipality compared to about 35 football fields. The municipality declared a "Großschadenslage" (large-scale incident). The fire initially remained roughly 500 meters from the Gey district and had not spread further toward residential buildings. During the night, however, the wind shifted, pushing the flames closer to the settlement. By the early hours of August 14, a police spokesperson said the fire was only about 400 meters from Gey. The warning app NINA displayed the highest alert level, "Extreme Gefahr" (extreme danger). The region had been experiencing temperatures of up to 38 degrees, conditions that contributed to the fire risk.
Evacuation of Gey
Around 2:00 AM on August 14, the municipality issued a warning urging people to avoid the areas of Kleinhau, Gey, and the L25 road. At that point, the fire was still about 500 meters from Gey. Shortly before 4:00 AM, after the wind shifted and the flames moved closer, the fire department ordered the immediate evacuation of the Gey district, home to approximately 1,800 residents. The municipality stated the district had to be "sofort evakuiert" (immediately evacuated). Residents were told to bring only essential personal items, identification documents, and medications. Authorities advised residents to cover their mouth and nose with a cloth, clothing, or a mask. A contact point was established at the Grundschule Straß elementary school, and a help line was set up at telephone number 02429 3090 for those needing assistance with the evacuation. The police spokesperson confirmed that the evacuation proceeded without incidents. The nearby district of Großhau, with about 500 residents, was also temporarily considered at risk from the flames.
- Gey (evacuated)
- 1800
- Großhau (at risk)
- 500
- Hürtgenwald (total)
- 9000
Firefighting and overnight response
Numerous firefighters have been battling the blaze since Thursday afternoon, working to contain the flames across the 25-hectare area. A helicopter dropped water over the forest in the evening, but with the onset of darkness it could no longer fly. Firefighters remained on site through the night, continuing their efforts as the wind shifted and the fire advanced toward Gey. The fire department maintained its presence overnight, ordering the evacuation shortly before 4:00 AM when the fire moved to within 400 meters. No injuries had been reported as of the early morning of August 14, according to the police spokesperson. The cause of the fire remains unclear.
- Forest fire breaks out near Hürtgenwald, 25 hectares burning
- Helicopter drops water over the forest, stops after dark
- Municipality warns population to avoid Kleinhau, Gey and L25
- Wind shifts, fire department orders immediate evacuation of Gey
- Fire 400m from Gey, evacuation proceeding without incidents
Infrastructure and geography
The B399 federal road, which runs along the affected forest, has been closed to traffic. Hürtgenwald is located in the Eifel region of western North Rhine-Westphalia, near the Belgian border. The municipality has a total population of nearly 9,000 across its districts. Authorities warned that if the wind were to shift again, the flames could come even closer to residential areas.
