Belgium’s largest wildfire on record burns 3,000 hectares near German border

Brussels, Belgium. Firefighters worked overnight to contain Belgium’s largest wildfire on record, which had burned 3,000 hectares in the High Fens nature reserve by Sunday morning and was moving towards the German border. Authorities said evacuated residents could not yet return home, although no houses had been affected.

Containment efforts

The fire has burned since Friday in the eastern Belgian nature reserve. Firefighters from across Belgium, neighbouring Germany and Luxembourg, as well as the army and farmers, have been involved in efforts to contain it.

Responders on Sunday focused on the fire front moving towards Germany. Stephanie Ernoux, spokesperson for the Wallonia regional administration, said cooler and more humid weather was expected to support containment efforts.

Cross-border precautions

The German town of Monschau, near the Belgian border, said the fire was not expected to spread into German territory but warned that significant smoke pollution was likely.

The town advised residents in areas close to the border to leave. Belgian authorities said the defensive line protecting evacuated villages was holding.

The office of the governor of Liege said no homes had been affected, although the fire remained close to residential areas and smoke levels were significant.

Emergency support

The European Union deployed three helicopters and two water-bomber aircraft from across Europe on Saturday after Belgium requested emergency reinforcements.

Data from the European Forest Fire Information System showed the blaze was more than double the size of a 2011 fire that burned nearly 1,400 hectares.

The fire began as Belgium and other European countries experienced their fifth heatwave of the summer.