Belgium races to tame huge wildfire creeping toward Germany
Water-bombing aircraft and farmers' tractors joined forces Sunday to help firefighters tame Belgium's largest modern-day wildfire, which has scorched vast swaths of a hard-to-reach nature reserve near the German border.
In Belgium, firefighters are battling a massive wildfire that has spread over 3,000 hectares of peatland and pine forest in the High Fens nature reserve near the German border. The blaze, which began last week, has been difficult to contain due to the challenging terrain and shifting winds. Water-bombing aircraft and farmers' tractors have joined forces to help douse the flames.
Emergency workers have been working around the clock, with several hundred firefighters and emergency personnel deployed on-site. The fire has prompted the partial evacuation of two Belgian villages, and the German town of Monschau has advised nearby residents to evacuate. Despite the challenges, some fronts of the fire have been brought under control.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin confirmed that two of the fire fronts are now under control. The fire has also affected the neighboring Belgian province of Namur and even reached eastern France, prompting an air pollution alert. Authorities are relying heavily on aerial assistance, including water-bombing helicopters from Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands, to bring the situation under control. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, as rescue teams have been unable to access the area.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Belgium’s biggest wildfire on record heads towards Germany dailymaverick.co.za
