What began as a relatively contained blaze has turned into a race against flames moving through some of Belgium’s most difficult terrain.
Belgium is continuing to battle one of the largest wildfires in the country’s modern history. The blaze has already destroyed more than 3,000 hectares of natural land in the Goess-Fenn nature reserve, located near the German border.
The fire began on Friday and initially covered around 80 hectares. However, as the flames spread rapidly through peatlands and pine forests, the affected area increased sharply by Sunday morning.
Aircraft and rescue crews from different regions deployed to fight the fire
Firefighters from across Belgium have been sent to contain the large-scale blaze. The European Union has also provided assistance by dispatching helicopters and water-bombing aircraft to the disaster area.
Local authorities stress that the difficult-to-reach terrain is complicating the work of emergency crews. As a result, emergency services cannot quickly reach certain fire hotspots or use conventional firefighting methods.
600 people evacuated from the danger zone
Due to the threat of the fire spreading, authorities ordered the evacuation of 600 residents from the affected area. Farmers have also said they are ready to assist emergency crews.
The situation in the Goess-Fenn reserve area remains difficult, as peatlands and coniferous forests contribute to the rapid spread of flames across large areas.