A wildfire in Germany's Hürtgenwald forest has been brought under control after scorching roughly 300 hectares, allowing about 1,800 evacuated residents of Gey to return home. North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Hendrik Wüst called it the largest forest fire in the state's history. Up to 1,800 firefighters from across Germany and abroad battled the blaze, which grew from about 25 hectares before wind shifts drove it toward the village.
Across the border, a separate fire in Belgium's Hohes Venn nature reserve has engulfed more than 2,700 hectares, prompting the evacuation of two Belgian towns. Belgian authorities requested German assistance, and two Swedish water-bombing aircraft arrived Sunday. Flames near the German border are now contained, sparing the German town of Monschau.
Cologne police have opened a tip portal to investigate the Hürtgenwald fire's cause.