Belgium battles record wildfire as villages evacuated

A record-breaking wildfire in eastern Belgium had scorched about 2,700 hectares in the High Fens area by Saturday evening, forcing around 600 residents to evacuate, according to local authorities and media reports, said Xinhua.

The office of the governor of Liege said the burned area had expanded from around 1,600 hectares earlier in the day, as the blaze continued to spread.

Local authorities have confirmed the fire as the largest on record in Belgium. Data from the European Forest Fire Information System showed that a major wildfire in 2011 burned nearly 1,400 hectares.

The blaze broke out at around 2 p.m. Friday in the High Fens nature reserve near the German border, with firefighting operations continuing into Saturday.

Around 600 people have been evacuated from nearby communities, according to local media, as changing winds and heavy smoke threatened surrounding areas. Tourists staying in the area were advised to leave, while a children's summer camp was also evacuated.

Local authorities said the rugged terrain of the nature reserve was making it difficult for emergency crews to fight the blaze at close range using conventional methods. Winds were also hampering operations and threatening to fuel the fire's spread.

Belgium has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to seek international assistance. European Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management said on X that firefighting aircraft sent to Belgium on Saturday came from the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Netherlands.

Firefighters from across Belgium, as well as neighboring Germany and Luxembourg, have joined the operation. The Belgian military and local farmers are also assisting firefighting efforts.

Belgium experienced another spell of intense heat this week, with temperatures reaching as high as 37 degrees Celsius in parts of the country on Friday. Hot and dry conditions have heightened the risk of wildfires spreading rapidly.