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Forest fire in the Eifel: 1,800 people evacuated from Hürtgenwald
In North Rhine-Westphalia, firefighters are battling a forest fire that increasingly threatens the municipality of Hürtgenwald, leading to the evacuation of 1,800 people.
Since Thursday, a forest fire has been raging in North Rhine-Westphalia, already destroying 25 hectares of land in the Eifel. According to reports, a change in wind direction on Friday night has driven the fire towards the Gey district of the municipality of Hürtgenwald.
In response to the threat, approximately 1,800 people from Gey were evacuated early Friday morning. According to a police spokesperson, the evacuation took place without incident. The district is located near the burning forest and is particularly at risk.
The fire has approached the municipality of Hürtgenwald in the Düren district significantly. According to information from the municipality, the flames are now only about 400 meters away from populated areas of the district.
At the same time, fires are also occurring in other regions, such as Saarland. Here, firefighters are similarly battling flare-ups that have increased in recent days.
Local response teams from Hürtgenwald and neighboring municipalities are engaged in combating the fire to prevent further damage. The situation remains tense, as the fire-prone area continues to be heavily affected.