Firefighters are struggling to contain the largest wildfire in Belgium’s history as flames tear through the High Fens nature reserve near the German border. The blaze, which broke out on Friday in the province of Liege, has spread eastward, consuming more than 27 square kilometers (10.4 square miles) of forest.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System, Belgium’s previous record wildfire occurred in 2011 in the same area, burning 14 square kilometers (5.4 square miles).
More than 250 rescue personnel have been deployed, including firefighting units from Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Stephanie Ernoux, a spokeswoman for Belgium’s Wallonia region, said crews are focusing on stopping the fire’s advancing front.
Around 600 residents in the border towns of Waimes and Butgenbach were ordered to leave their homes on Saturday as winds shifted and smoke spread. Authorities reported no property damage as of Sunday morning but urged people to stay away from the affected area.
On the German side, the town of Monschau said the flames had reached about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the border. Officials do not expect the fire to cross the frontier, but they advised residents in three districts to temporarily relocate due to thick smoke.
The fire comes just days after Belgium endured an intense heatwave, with temperatures reaching around 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday, following weeks of almost no rain.
Like much of Europe, Belgium is experiencing a summer marked by repeated heatwaves. Meteorological agencies recorded temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in several European countries on Thursday, and the United Kingdom saw its hottest day of the year as temperatures in west London hit 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.5 degrees Fahrenheit).
Fires often follow heatwaves. Thousands of people in Germany, France, the UK, Croatia, and Greece have been evacuated in recent days. About 500,000 hectares (approximately 1.24 million acres) of forest within the European Union have been scorched this year.
