Authorities report that the forest fire in Hürtgenwald, close to Düren in the Eifel region, did not spread further overnight into Saturday. The village of Gey, which has roughly 1,800 residents, remains evacuated as a precaution, and officials say this will not change for now.
The Düren district administration described the fire situation as "static", with the affected area not having grown. However, northerly winds are now approaching, and it is unclear how these could impact the ongoing efforts.
Overnight, the fire brigade was forced to relocate its operations centre due to shifting conditions. The German armed forces (Bundeswehr) are assisting with armoured vehicles to create firebreaks in the forest.
Efforts to extinguish the blaze are complicated by unexploded World War II munitions scattered around the area, which are regularly detonating in the fire. As a result, it is not safe for individual firefighters with backpack extinguishers to enter, according to officials on site.
Residents in the nearby villages of Vossenack, Hürtgen, Kleinhau, and Simonskall have been asked to use water sparingly.
Five emergency responders were injured during firefighting operations on Friday evening, when a firefighting helicopter was also deployed, according to district authorities.
Just across the border, the popular Belgian nature reserve of Hautes Fagnes has been burning badly since Friday. The area around Baelen, towards Baraque Michel, has already seen 1,600 hectares destroyed.
The fire is spreading rapidly, advancing at 10km per hour, prompting additional reinforcements from other Belgian provinces as well as from Germany. The road between Verviers and Spa is completely closed, and the public is being urged to avoid the area.
Kachelmann Wetter said winds will turn northerly this afternoon, bringing a two-day period during which smoke from the forest fire in Belgium's Hautes Fagnes is expected to reach Luxembourg.
Residents, particularly in the Oesling where the smoke is likely to be noticed first, should be reassured that it is not a new fire in Luxembourg, but smoke drifting across the border from the Belgian blaze, which poses no direct threat to the Grand Duchy.
