Belgium High Fens wildfire forces 600 to evacuate near German border

Firefighters are battling a massive wildfire in Belgium's High Fens nature reserve that has burned about 30 square kilometres. About 600 residents in Waimes and Bütgenbach, near the German border, were ordered to evacuate on August 15 as shifting winds spread smoke. A gymnasium was opened for evacuees, and authorities said no homes had been affected as of Sunday morning.

Liège provincial governor Herve Jamar said more than 250 emergency personnel had been deployed, including over 100 Belgian and German firefighters, police, military officers and civil protection staff. Firefighting helicopters from Belgium's federal police, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic are assisting. The New Indian Express reports that Belgium activated the European Union's civil protection mechanism, and Sweden sent two water-bombing aircraft.

The fire has surpassed a 2011 blaze that burned nearly 14 square kilometres, previously Belgium's largest wildfire on record. Weeks of unusually hot and dry weather, with temperatures reaching about 37 degrees Celsius on Friday, have worsened conditions. In Germany, the nearby town of Monschau warned the fire was about 1.5 kilometres from the border, though it is not expected to reach German territory.