Emergency services are still fighting the flames in the Hürtgenwald in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to NRW Agriculture Minister Silke Gorißen, the forest fire could be the largest in the state's history. “Here in Hürtgenwald we are dealing with a scale that we have not had to deal with in decades,” said the CDU politician during a visit to the emergency services.
She assumes a minimum affected area of 200 hectares. Up to 300 hectares are also possible. For comparison: According to forest fire statistics from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in North Rhine-Westphalia, an area of around 52 hectares was affected by fires in the entire year of 2025. NRW Environment Minister Oliver Krischer spoke of a “frightening” extent. “This just shows that the consequences of climate change are hitting us here with full force,” said the Green politician.
Injured during firefighting and evacuation
District Administrator Ralf Nolten (CDU) reported five injuries. Four emergency services were slightly injured, including a cut and circulatory problems, he told the dpa news agency. In addition, an elderly person developed heart problems during the evacuation.
The fire broke out on Thursday evening. The Hürtgenwald-Gey district was evacuated early in the morning. According to WDR, more than 2,000 people were affected by the evacuation. It is uncertain when they will be able to return to their homes, said Nolten.
According to a district spokeswoman, the fire is still around 150 to 200 meters away from the town. As long as the fire does not reach the treetops, the meter information is not yet decisive, says Nolten. Hürtgenwald is located in the southwest of the state, near the border with Belgium. In total, almost 9,000 people live in the community in the Eifel.
Extinguishing work could take days
Nolten described the current fire situation as “very fluid.” There are many individual fires. The “great unknown” is the wind. If it were to appear, the situation could "quickly change" and trigger more fires. According to fire department spokesman Peter Berndgen, the firefighting operation could take days.
In several districts in the area there were warnings about unpleasant odors and smoke.
The Bundeswehr and police are strengthening the fire department
North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) appealed to the population to stay away from the fire so as not to hinder the extinguishing work. “The emergency services are fighting tirelessly against the flames,” he explained. According to WDR information, Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) ended his vacation earlier than planned and wants to travel to Hürtgenwald tomorrow.
In addition to the police and fire brigade, the Bundeswehr and aid organizations such as the Technical Relief Agency, the German Red Cross and the Maltese are also on duty. According to the Düren district, more than 200 emergency services are on site and more have been requested to provide support. Helicopters are extinguishing fires from above, water cannons are in use and motorway exits are closed to enable rescue trips. The Bundeswehr had previously deployed two tanks to cut paths in the forest. Support farmers and foresters.
World War II ammunition makes firefighting difficult
The extinguishing work is made more difficult by World War II ammunition on the site. “Due to the high ammunition load, we cannot send individual firefighters in with firefighting backpacks,” said District Administrator Nolten. Ammunition had already exploded at the fire site during the night. The Hürtgen Forest was the scene of heavy fighting between German and US troops in 1944 and 1945.
The cause of the fire is still unclear. The Cologne police are investigating this and have set up a information portal for witnesses.
Rhineland-Palatinate: Fire under control
Emergency services were also fighting forest fires in other parts of the Eifel. According to a district spokesman, four people were injured in the Mayen-Koblenz district in Rhineland-Palatinate. One of the people suffered burn injuries.
The Mayen-Koblenz district announced that the fire near Langenscheid is now under control. The previously issued evacuation warnings for the towns of Arft and Langenfeld have been lifted. According to the information, the fire brigade will remain on site overnight, and around 220 emergency services will continue to secure the area. According to the information, the fire affected around 50 hectares.
