Firefighters keep battling wildfire in France’s Landes region
Firefighters and local farmers are working through the night to contain a wildfire in Luglon, in southwestern France, which has already burned more than 1,500 hectares. With hot spots still threatening homes, crews are hoping forecast rain will help bring the blaze under control.
On Saturday, August 15, Germany's Eifel region witnessed a major wildfire that was finally put under control over the weekend. However, emergency services are now focusing on another large wildfire in eastern Belgium, near the German border.
In the affected German town of Monschau, residents were warned to evacuate their homes late on Sunday night. North Rhine-Westphalia's regional leader Hendrik Wüst expressed optimism that the village of Gey would soon be able to welcome its inhabitants back home, as he believed the situation would be brought under control.
Rainfall was expected, but fire officials remained cautious about potential strong winds. Wüst stated that no houses were lost in the fire. A total of 2,000 people were evacuated from the village of Gey near the Belgian border on Friday.
Fire service spokesperson Peter Berndgen reported that the fire situation had stabilized and would not spread further. However, the evacuation order for Gey was likely to be maintained throughout the day. The wildfire, the largest ever seen in North Rhine-Westphalia, has been complicated by the threat of explosions from World War II ordnance buried in the forest.
Five individuals, including four rescue workers, sustained injuries during the firefighting efforts. North Rhine-Westphalia's premier had cut short his vacation and was expected to arrive on site on Saturday afternoon. Authorities anticipate that efforts to contain the fire will continue throughout the weekend, and possibly beyond.
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