Brussels, Aug. 16 (SANA) Firefighters battled through the night to contain the largest wildfire on record in Belgium, which had burned more than 7,400 acres by Sunday morning and was spreading toward the German border, local authorities said.
The blaze has been burning since Friday in the High Fens nature reserve in eastern Belgium, where firefighters from across the country, as well as neighboring Germany and Luxembourg, have joined containment efforts with support from the military and local farmers, Reuters reported.
Stephanie Ernould, a spokesperson for Belgium’s Walloon regional administration, said firefighting efforts on Sunday were focused on the eastern edge of the blaze as it moved toward Germany. Cooler temperatures and higher humidity were expected to help crews bring the fire under control.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System showed the blaze had burned more than twice the area affected by a 2011 fire, which scorched more than 3,400 acres.
Authorities in the German border town of Monschau said the fire was not expected to cross into Germany, but warned of significant smoke pollution and advised residents in areas near the border to leave.
The European Union deployed three helicopters and two water-dropping aircraft on Saturday after Belgium requested emergency assistance.
Local authorities said a defensive line protecting evacuated villages remained intact on Sunday, although residents forced to leave their homes a day earlier had not yet been allowed to return.
“No homes have been damaged at this stage, although the fire remains close and smoke levels are high,” the office of the governor of Liège said.
The wildfire comes as several European countries, including Belgium, experience another period of extreme summer heat.
Scientists say human-caused climate change is increasing the likelihood of hot and dry conditions that can allow wildfires to spread more rapidly and burn for longer.
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