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Germany news: Wildfire forces evacuations in western woods
Hundreds of villagers have been evacuated in western Germany after a wildfire spread close to a village. Meanwhile, farmers have warned that drought and high temperatures could cause major crop losses. DW has the latest.
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08/14/2026 August 14, 2026 Dramatic rescue in Berlin high-rise fire Several people were injured Friday morning when fire broke out in a 21-story apartment complex in Berlin's Friedrichshain neighborhood, near the Ostbahnhof train station.
The blaze started on the 11th floor, say firefighters, and quickly spread to floors above.
A fire department spokesperson described the situation as "dramatic."
Witnesses say numerous residents stood at windows and balconies prepared to jump rather than be consumed by smoke and flames.
Although jump cushions were installed as a precaution below, these were not used and authorities say residents were retrieved from a stairwell with a rescue ladder.
Some 130 fire, police and emergency services personnel were in action before residents could be saved and the fire extinguished.
Smoke damage is said to have been extensive, causing at least five injuries, and leaving roughly 70 people to be cared for on site.
The cause of the fire is unclear, though police are treating it as a possible balcony fire.
08/14/2026 August 14, 2026 German military joins battle against Eifel wildfire The German military has deployed firefighting helicopters to help tackle a major forest fire in the northern Eifel region of western Germany.
Two NH90 transport helicopters took off from Fassberg in Lower Saxony on Friday morning, according to the Defense Ministry.
The helicopters are equipped with so-called Bambi Buckets, collapsible containers carried beneath the aircraft to drop water over burning areas.
Each helicopter can release around 2,000 liters (about 530 gallons) of water during a single run.
Several hundred hectares of forest are burning close to the municipality of Hürtgenwald in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The village of Gey has been evacuated after flames moved dangerously close to homes.
Germany's military has also recently used CH-53 helicopters to help fight forest fires in France.
"We expect below-average grain harvests, especially when it comes to wheat and rapeseed," he said during an interview with Germany's Redaktionsnetzwerk media group.
"As far as fall crops are concerned, the trend suggests we must expect significant yield losses here as well."
Potatoes, vegetables and sugar beets, as well as grain maize and soy could be affected.
Ruckwied warned that although farmers in the north could hope for "acceptable" if "below-average" harvests thanks to occasional rains, farmers in drier southern Germany could be facing "total harvest loss."
"What's becoming a problem, especially in southern Germany, is that feed crops aren't coming in," he added, noting that this would force farmers to slaughter animals earlier than usual.
The threat adds to the financial pressure farmers already face when it comes to buying seed, fertilizer and pesticides, says Ruckwied.
"The economic situation is brutal… on the one hand high investment costs, and on the other, lower market prices for agricultural products."
The village is about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Cologne and close to the Belgian border.
Officials declared a "mass damage situation" Thursday evening before evacuations were ordered around 4 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) Friday morning.
Residents were told to gather only their most important possessions — above all documents and medicine — when leaving. They were also instructed to wear masks if possible due to poor air quality and those needing assistance were told to call emergency services.
An emergency shelter was set up at a nearby schoolhouse.
Hürtgenwald, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia near the Belgian border, has an overall population of about 9,000.
Authorities say roughly 25 hectares (62 acres) of forest is currently burning there — an area equivalent to 35 soccer pitches.
Of these, around 69,600 were considered businesses of greater economic significance — for example because of their legal form or because they planned to employ staff. That was 3.0% more than a year earlier.
At the same time, the number of complete business closures in this category fell by 3.8% to around 49,800.
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08/14/2026 August 14, 2026 Welcome to our coverage Guten Tag from the DW newsroom in Bonn.
A wildfire has forced the evacuation of around 1,800 people in western Germany's Eifel region.
The fire spread close to the village of Gey in the Hürtgenwald area, southwest of Cologne.
Officials ordered residents to leave early on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, German farmers have warned that drought and unusually high temperatures could cause major crop losses this year.
Stay with us here for these stories and more of the things that Germany is talking about today.
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