Waldbrände: Lage bei Monschau spitzt sich zu – Belgien evakuiert Ort

The situation in Monschau, a town near the border between Belgium and Germany, is growing more critical due to a large forest fire spreading from Belgium towards Germany. The fire front in the Hohen Venn is now only about three kilometers away from the German border, according to the city's website late at night. The city urged neighboring neighborhoods to prepare for potential evacuation and advised some residents to voluntarily leave their homes due to possible health risks from smoke inhalation.

Monschau is situated roughly two kilometers from the border. Belgian authorities have ordered the evacuation of the Belgian village of Küschelscheid, which borders the Monschauer district of Kaltenherberg. The fire is currently approximately 1.5 kilometers away from the German border, as reported by the city's website. Strong smoke pollution is expected to affect the German border region throughout the day.

Health risks from the smoke are not ruled out, and residents are advised to stay with relatives or friends if possible. Emergency shelters are being prepared as a precautionary measure. Belgian authorities evacuated around 600 people from the villages of Küchelscheid and Leykaul on Saturday. By evening, Governor of the Lüttich province of Belgium had informed that the forest fire had already affected an area of 2,700 hectares, equivalent to nearly 3,800 football fields.

For comparison, the fire in Hürtgenwald, just 20 kilometers away from Monschau, affected around 300 hectares of forest. Monschau called on residents to prepare emergency bags and inform their neighbors. The city also advised not to block police and fire department emergency lines. The fire is described as "the largest fire Belgium has ever experienced," cited by public broadcaster RTBF.

Belgian authorities had previously asked other European Union countries for assistance. German firefighters are also present on the ground. Additional helicopters and planes from the Czech Republic, Sweden, and the Netherlands have been mobilized, according to EU Crisis Commissioner Hadja Lahbib. Around 600 people in two Belgian locations were instructed to evacuate their homes due to the rapidly spreading fire, strong wind directions, and high smoke levels.

The fire started on Friday afternoon. Smoke effects can also be felt in Rhineland-Palatinate. Residents in Hürtgenwald-Gey are returning home, with the fire extinguishing efforts already on the fourth day. The situation in the affected area west of North Rhine-Westphalia is gradually calming down. Only about 1800 personnel were involved in the extinguishing efforts.

A narrow strip of about three meters surrounded the entire affected area, preventing the flames from spreading further. Up to 1800 firefighters were working on extinguishing the fire. By Saturday evening, residents of the evacuated area of Gey had returned to their homes and houses. As of Sunday morning, about two-thirds of the affected people were back in their locations.

The fire had advanced up to 250 meters onto residential properties. According to the state government's assessment, this was likely the largest forest fire in the history of North Rhine-Westphalia. While visiting rescue and firefighting personnel, Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst mentioned that efforts to contain the forest fire were progressing.

It was reported that the night before, the situation was stabilized. However, there is still a slight odor nuisance. In the course of Sunday, a two-kilometer-long path from east to west was created to allow firefighting vehicles better access to the target area, thanks to the three-meter-wide track. Moreover, any potential sparks were to be contained, according to the Kreis Düren.

The street crossings in Gey should remain open for firefighting personnel, appealed the Kreis administration. The blocked highway exits on the A4 should be quickly reopened for traffic. In Wittlich, a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, the Kirmes (festival) was interrupted due to the smoke from the fires in Belgium and North Rhine-Westphalia combined with the current weather and wind conditions.

The police headquarters of Trier reported that smoke plumes have been spreading in the region since the afternoon, particularly in the Eifel and along the Moselle. No large or forest fires have been reported in the police headquarters' service area, but a danger from these fires is not currently expected. Due to the smoke, a Kirmes in Wittlich in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district of Rhineland-Palatinate was interrupted on Saturday.

The responsible authorities stated that at the moment, there are no large or forest fires in the police headquarters' service area, and there is no imminent danger from these fires.