06 / 10
Wildfire evacuates more than 2,000 in Gey
A wildfire near Germany’s Belgian border forced Gey’s residents out as flames approached the village.
What happened
A wildfire that began near Hürtgenwald in North Rhine-Westphalia forced the evacuation of Gey, near the Belgian border, after flames approached the village. Emergency crews, backed by Bundeswehr aircraft and vehicles, worked to contain it. Authorities later described the fire as stabilised; by Sunday, they reported no open flames.
Numbers
- More than 2,000residents evacuated from Gey
- 300 metresclosest reported distance to Gey
- 300 firefightersfirefighters deployed at the scene
Questions
- Where did evacuated residents go?
- Officials opened a reception centre at a primary school in nearby Straß and also evacuated a care home.
- Why was firefighting difficult?
- Unexploded Second World War ammunition in parts of the forest produced occasional detonations, while rough terrain restricted access for crews.
- How large was the response?
- About 300 firefighters were deployed alongside Bundeswehr helicopters, engineering vehicles and aid organisations, as crews cut access routes and wet firebreaks.
- What did nearby residents face?
- Residents of Großhau were asked to avoid the area, although authorities had not ordered an evacuation for that community.
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The catch
The coverage has not confirmed the cause, final burned area, injuries or the timing of residents’ return.