Wildfire in munitions-contaminated forest forces evacuation of German village as explosions hinder firefighting
A wildfire in a wooded area laced with unexploded ordnance forced the evacuation of the entire village of Traisen in western Germany. Firefighters are unable to enter the explosive-laden zone, relying on water cannons and tree-cutting to contain the flames.
On Saturday afternoon, a wildfire broke out on a steep slope near Traisen, a village of about 650 people in the Bad Kreuznach district of Rhineland‑Palatinate. The fire spread through a former military munitions disposal site, and its progress was punctuated by repeated explosions from buried ordnance.
The fire and its dangers
The area is a protected nature reserve that was once used as a dumping ground for ammunition. Because of the contamination, firefighters cannot safely enter parts of the burn zone. Instead they are cutting firebreaks and using high‑volume water cannons to hold the perimeter. Explosions continued into Sunday, and an ordnance‑clearance team was called to assess the danger.
- Saturday afternoon: wildfire breaks out on a steep slope near Traisen.
- Saturday evening: first buildings closest to the fire evacuated.
- Night to Sunday: decision to clear all buildings within a 1 km radius; residents must leave by 2 am.
- Sunday morning: village almost completely empty; work continues to protect cell tower and contain fire.
Evacuation of Traisen
On Saturday evening, emergency services first evacuated a few buildings closest to the flames. During the night, the order was widened: residents within a kilometre of the fire had to leave their homes by 2 am. About 650 people were affected, and a shelter was set up in a sports hall in nearby Roxheim. Elderly, sick people and mothers with children under three were offered hotel rooms. By Sunday morning the village was all but empty; only one family initially refused to leave, and police were called.
Race to protect the cell tower
Firefighting resources were also focused on protecting a telecommunications tower inside the cordoned‑off area. The tower is a critical node for mobile coverage across the Bad Kreuznach district. Crews are dousing it with water and felling trees around it to create a buffer.
Wider heatwave context
The Traisen fire is one of several large wildfires that broke out over the weekend as a heatwave gripped much of Germany. In the Gohrischheide area on the Saxony–Brandenburg border, another munitions‑contaminated forest was burning. There, emergency services expressed particular concern about forecast gusty winds that could spread embers. That fire was still active on Sunday morning, though overnight work had contained it to a single enclosed sector.
