Belgium battles record wildfire at German border

Belgium is grappling with its largest wildfire on record, which has consumed approximately 2,700 hectares (6,700 acres) in the eastern High Fens nature reserve. The blaze has come within 300 meters (984 feet) of the German border, prompting precautionary evacuations in the German town of Monschau. The European Union has deployed three helicopters and two water bombers to assist Belgian authorities in controlling the massive blaze.

Around 600 residents in parts of Waimes, Sourbrodt, and Buetgenbach have been ordered to evacuate due to shifting winds and heavy smoke raising concerns of homes being threatened. Tourists were advised to leave the area. Restaurant owner David Rodolfs in Waimes described the smoke-filled scene, stating, "You can't see a thing anymore, there's smoke everywhere."

The fire, which ignited on Friday, has rapidly spread across peatlands and pine forests, fueled by dry, hot conditions exacerbated by climate change. Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin expressed shock at the fire's speed and extent of destruction, noting the risk to homes. However, the fire has temporarily halted its advance toward the German border, aided by light rain, lower winds, and high humidity.

Monschau, a popular tourist destination with 12,000 residents, known for its picturesque Old Town, has been evacuated as a precaution. German and Luxembourg firefighters have joined the Belgian response, with additional aerial resources brought in from the Czech Republic, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Authorities in Monschau ordered some 30 residents from 17 homes to evacuate earlier on Sunday night, but the fire was no longer advancing toward the German border by Monday morning.

Scientists attribute the increased likelihood of wildfires to human-caused climate change, with Commissioner Hadja Lahbib describing the blaze as a sign of the continent's "climate upheaval."