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🇩🇪 Germany /Disasters & Emergencies

Wildfire in High Fens Nears German Homes, Evacuations Underway

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Ongoing story
  • Firefighters are struggling to contain a large wildfire in the High Fens nature reserve, which is advancing towards the first residential areas on German territory.
  • Around 30 residents were evacuated from homes in Ruitzhof and Geisberg as flames approached within 300 meters, though firefighters are attempting to save them by watering down nearby meadows.
  • The fire, which started Friday and is Belgium's largest ever at approximately 3,000 hectares, is exacerbated by strong, shifting winds, and peat layers may cause it to smolder for weeks.

Firefighters are battling a massive wildfire in the High Fens nature reserve, a blaze that has become Belgium's largest on record and is now threatening German territory. Flames are approximately 300 meters from homes in the German villages of Ruitzhof and Geisberg, prompting the evacuation of about 30 residents late Sunday. Firefighters are working to save these homes, having saturated nearby meadows with water in hopes of creating a firebreak.

The fire is about 300 meters from the buildings evacuated a few hours ago.

— Tobias SchellMonschau fire department spokesperson Tobias Schell described the proximity of the fire to evacuated homes.

The operation to combat the flames, which began Friday, intensified Sunday after Germany requested assistance. Firefighters are working through the night, with water being transported from the Perlenbach reservoir to the fire zone. Onlookers in Kalterherberg, a part of Monschau, watched the fire's glow and applauded passing emergency vehicles.

We are pulling through.

— Tobias SchellSchell stated the firefighters' commitment to continuing their efforts through the night.

Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin cited strong, constantly shifting winds as a major challenge. The fire has already consumed about 3,000 hectares in Belgium. Firefighters anticipate that the underground smoldering peat layers in the high moor will make this a weeks-long operation.

This will be a weeks-long operation.

— Tobias SchellSchell predicted the duration of the effort required to extinguish the smoldering peat layers.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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