Belgium wildfire burns at least 1,600 hectares

Belgium: Belgian firefighters backed by water bombers and helicopters were battling a rapidly spreading wildfire on Saturday at a natural park near the German border that ravaged at least 16 square kilometres (six square miles) in 24 hours.

Reinforcements have been called in from across the country to help tackle the blaze at the Hautes Fagnes park, in the country's far east, with aerial support coming in from European partners under the EU's civil protection mechanism.

The blaze, already one of the largest in Belgium's history, remains uncontrolled according to Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the regional authorities in Wallonia said.


The nearby village of Sourbrodt, with about 500 residents, was under threat of evacuation after the fire, which broke out on Friday, ballooning in size overnight.

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"It is under consideration because of the smoke, but no final decision has been taken yet," Yernaux said.

"There is a risk that the fire could reach homes, but we are deploying all available resources to protect them," he added.

The municipal Facebook page advised residents to prepare for a possible evacuation-packing essential belongings, keeping doors and windows closed because of smoke, and remaining alert to official updates.

In Eupen, a municipality close to the fire, the sky was gradually turning yellow, with columns of smoke visible in the distance, according to a journalist at the scene.

"The situation is complicated and highly dependent on aerial resources," Yernaux said.

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Operations were being made harder by the fens' terrain-a patchwork of heath, peat bogs and raised wooden boardwalks.

Firefighters had "pulled back to the edge of the forest and allowed parts of the heathland to burn because the area is very difficult to access," Yernaux said.