Wildfires: Fire in Belgium – Monschau prepares for evacuations
The North Rhine-Westphalian town of Monschau is calling on residents to prepare for possible evacuation. On the other side of the border, in the Belgian High Fens, around 1,600 hectares are burning.
A large forest fire in the Belgian High Fens has prompted the German town of Monschau to advise residents in several settlements to prepare for possible evacuation. The affected areas are Ruitzhof, Leyloch, Vennhof, Haus Sonnentau, and Plattevenn. The fire, which has burned around 1600 hectares, is considered the largest in Belgian history and has led to the evacuation of the towns of Küchelscheid and Leykaul.
German firefighters are on the scene, and additional support has been mobilized from the Czech Republic, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The smoke from the fire has also affected areas in neighboring Germany, including a festival in Wittlich, which was interrupted due to poor air quality.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Wildfires: Situation in Monschau and Hürtgenwald is easing handelsblatt.com
