Forest fire forces evacuation of nearly 1,800 residents in western Germany

A massive wildfire in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has prompted the emergency evacuation of approximately 1,800 residents from the Gey district in the municipality of Hürtgenwald.

According to German media citing Bild, the blaze raged overnight across roughly 25 hectares of woodland, advancing to within 500 meters of residential areas. Local authorities have declared a major emergency, closing the B399 federal highway and the adjacent L25 road to traffic.

Firefighting operations, including water drops by helicopters and deployed ground crews, remain underway. No injuries have been reported so far, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

N.Tebrizli