Belgium is battling its largest wildfire on record after flames spread across about 3,000 hectares of land in the High Fens nature reserve near the German border.
The wildfire began on Friday and has prompted firefighters from Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, as well as the military and local farmers, to join efforts to contain the blaze.
Authorities said on Sunday that firefighters were concentrating on the fire’s front line as it moved towards Germany. Cooler and more humid weather was expected to help efforts to control the flames.
The German border town of Monschau said the fire was not expected to cross into German territory, but warned that heavy smoke pollution could affect nearby communities. Residents in areas close to the border were advised to leave as a precaution.
The European Union deployed three helicopters and two water-bomber aircraft from across Europe on Saturday after Belgium requested emergency assistance.
Belgian authorities said defensive lines protecting evacuated villages were holding, but residents who had been evacuated were warned not to return home yet.
Officials in Liège said no homes had been damaged so far, although the fire remained close and smoke levels were significant.
The wildfire is more than twice the size of a blaze recorded in 2011, which burned nearly 1,400 hectares.
The fire comes as Belgium and other European countries experience another heatwave. Scientists say human-caused climate change has increased the likelihood of hot and dry conditions that can make wildfires spread faster and burn for longer periods.
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