Waldbrände: Brand im Hohen Venn – Evakuierung bei Monschau angeordnet

Düsseldorf. The fire in the Hohes Venn nature reserve is now no longer just inches away from the German border. Gentle rain, no wind, and high humidity have played into the hands of the firefighting forces. "This is good for us," said a fire department spokesperson at the incident control center in Kalterherberg, a district of Monschau.

The fire, affecting around 3,000 hectares of area, is the largest forest fire in Belgian history. It had come within 300 meters of the German border. There were also fears at times that the wind might pick up, turn unfavorably, and carry the flames toward Germany. Houses in the Ruitzhof and Geisberg districts, housing around 30 residents, were evacuated on Sunday evening at around 10 p.m. Firefighters hope to save the houses: "Between the fire and the houses lie meadows, which we have completely soaked with water over the past hours."

At around 4 p.m. on Sunday, a request to assist in the firefighting effort had arrived from Belgium. The preparation for the deployment had already been made. "We have been observing the fire since Friday."