Firefighters in Belgium fought through the night to contain the largest wildfire ever recorded in the country. By Sunday morning, the fire had burned 3,000 hectares of land and was moving towards the German border, according to local authorities.
How the fire started
The fire broke out on Friday in the High Fens (Hautes Fagnes) nature reserve in the east of the country. Firefighting forces from across Belgium, as well as from neighbouring Germany and Luxembourg, are taking part in the operation, supported by the army and local farmers.
Regional response
Stéphanie Ernould, spokesperson for the Walloon regional government, told Reuters that efforts on Sunday are focused on the fire front moving towards Germany, expressing hope that cooler, wetter weather conditions would support firefighting efforts.
Scale of the fire
According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), the current fire is more than double the size of Belgium's previous largest wildfire, recorded in 2011, which burned almost 1,400 hectares.
International assistance and evacuations
Following a request from Belgium for emergency assistance, the European Union deployed three helicopters and two firefighting aircraft on Saturday.
Local authorities said the defence line protecting evacuated settlements is holding, though residents who have been evacuated are advised not to return home yet. "No house has been affected at this stage, although the fire remains close and smoke levels are significant," the office of the governor of Liège said in a briefing.
Climate context
The fire broke out amid the fifth heatwave of the summer affecting European countries, including Belgium. Scientists say human-caused climate change has increased the likelihood of hot, dry conditions that allow wildfires to spread faster and burn for longer.
