What you need to know
- A wildfire near the Belgian border has forced around 1,800 people to leave their homes
- Flames burned within 400 meters of one village
- Amid high temperatures, farmers say drought could badly damage grain, potato, vegetable and feed crop harvests
Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Friday, August 14, 2026:
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Farmers fear drought will wipe out this year's harvest
Farmers fear they could see harvests wiped out entirely by ongoing drought and unseasonably high temperatures, says German Farmers' Association (DBV) President Joachim Ruckwied.
"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."
Wildfire forces evacuation in western Germany
Fire forced the evacuation of some 1,800 residents in the Hürtgenwald area of western Germany's Eifel region Friday morning as flames, fueled by shifting winds.
The blaze crept within 400 meters (a quarter mile) of the village of Gey, 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.
Germany sees rise in new business registrations
Germany saw a noticeable rise in new business registrations in the first half of this year. Around 352,400 new businesses were registered, up 8.3% compared with the same period last year, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
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.
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.