Western Germany wildfire under control, evacuations continue

A wildfire in western Germany that prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents from the village of Gey on Friday has been brought under control, authorities said on Saturday, though the displaced people were still unable to return home. The fire, near the Belgian border, was stabilised but continued to burn, with emergency services monitoring for shifting winds that could reignite the blaze.

The evacuation order for Gey was issued in the early hours of August 14 after the fire advanced to within approximately 300 metres of the community. Authorities said around 1,800 people were told to leave their homes immediately, with some reports placing the number at over 2,000. Residents were instructed to bring only essential items, identification, and medication. A reception centre was established at a primary school in the nearby village of Strass to provide assistance.

Firefighters, supported by helicopters and army tracked vehicles, worked to create firebreaks through the dense woodland of the Eifel region in North Rhine-Westphalia. The blaze expanded rapidly from about 25 hectares on Thursday to 300 hectares by Friday morning. Complicating the effort were explosions from...