Archive · 14 Aug 2026
Wildfire forces evacuation of over 2,000 in western Germany
In Germany, a big fire in the forest got very close to a small village called Gey.
Gey is near the border with Belgium.
More than 2,000 people had to leave their homes to be safe.
They were asked to take only important things like identification papers and medicine.
They went to a school in a nearby village that was turned into a help centre.
The fire was still about 300 metres away from the village, which is about three football fields.
Some old bombs from World War Two are buried in the forest, and people heard them explode in the fire.
Firefighters and army tanks worked together to reach difficult spots and fight the flames.
Many parts of Germany are very dry right now, which makes wildfires more likely.
More than 2,000 people evacuated the village of Gey in western Germany after a wildfire near the Belgian border spread toward the community.
Residents were ordered to leave around 4:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) and report to an assistance centre set up at a primary school in a nearby village.
Mayor Stephan Cranen said the evacuation was complete but the situation remained critical, with flames about 300 metres from the village.
One out-of-control wildfire spread overnight toward a former munitions depot in Dueren, where unexploded World War Two ammunition triggered occasional detonations.
About 300 hectares were burning as two German army tanks helped firefighters clear hard-to-reach access routes through the forest.
- Who
- More than 2,000 residents of Gey, local authorities, and firefighters assisted by the German army.
- What
- A wildfire spread toward the village of Gey, forcing a full evacuation of residents.
- When
- Friday, August 14, with evacuation ordered at around 4:00 a.m. (0200 GMT).
- Where
- Village of Gey near the Belgian border in western Germany, within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
- Why
- The wildfire threatened to hit the local community hard, worsened by dry conditions and a high risk of forest fires across Germany.
- Evacuated residents
- More than 2,000 people
- Location
- Village of Gey, western Germany, near the Belgian border
- State
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Evacuation time
- Around 4:00 a.m. Friday (0200 GMT)
- Flames distance from village
- About 300 metres (1,000 ft)
- Area burning
- About 300 hectares (740 acres)
- Assistance centre
- Primary school in a nearby village
- Additional hazard
- Unexploded World War Two ammunition in the surrounding forest