Belgium races to tame wildfire creeping towards Germany
Water-bombing aircraft and farmers joined forces to help firefighters battle Belgium's largest modern-day wildfire, which has scorched vast swathes of a nature reserve near the German border.
Belgium is struggling to contain its worst wildfire in over a century, which has spread through 3,000 hectares of pristine parkland in the High Fens nature reserve. Though the blaze is not advancing towards the German border, officials warn that conditions could change rapidly due to weather. The fire has prompted evacuations in the town of Monschau and caused a thick plume of yellowish smoke that has been detected as far as eastern France, triggering an air-pollution alert.
Firefighters and farmers, supported by water-dropping aircraft, have been battling the blaze on the boggy peatlands, pine forests, and hiking trails of the High Fens. The terrain poses significant challenges, as heavy vehicles risk sinking into the ground. While rain provided some respite today, strong winds are expected tomorrow, creating a new challenge for crews.
King Philippe of Belgium visited the fire zone to show support. Belgium, like much of Europe, has experienced intense heat and drought in recent days, with temperatures reaching 37C in some areas, leading to a higher risk of wildfires.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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