BRUSSELS: Residents began evacuating from two villages in eastern Belgium on Saturday (Aug 15) as firefighters, backed by water bombers and helicopters from across Europe, battled one of the biggest wildfires in the country’s history.
Reinforcements from across the country were fighting the blaze which broke out Friday in the High Fens (Hautes Fagnes) natural park, a vast wood- and heathland popular with hikers near the German border, and quickly expanded.
By Saturday afternoon, the fire had scorched at least 16 square kilometres (six square miles), according to Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the regional authorities in Wallonia.
Residents in parts of the villages of Sourbrodt and Buetgenbach were ordered to evacuate at around 4.00pm local time, local authorities said in a Facebook post.
Others in the area were advised to remain indoors and keep doors and windows closed. A gymnasium in a neighbouring municipality was opened to accommodate evacuees.
The blaze remains uncontrolled, said Yernaux, who called it the “largest in recent history” for Belgium.
“There is a risk that the fire could reach homes, but we are deploying all available resources to protect them,” he said.
An AFP journalist was escorted into the burn zone along with Interior Minister Bernard Quintin, witnessing a huge expanse of singed vegetation, with thick smoke hanging in the air.
“When you see how things looked this morning and how they are now, you can only be shocked,” Quintin told AFP.
“But at the same time, we’re grateful for the work that has been done. You can see the farmers out here driving around and continuing to wet down the area. It’s impressive, very impressive.”
On social media, numerous farmers posted photographs of themselves heading to the fire zone to support emergency crews.
