Brussels, Aug 15 (IANS) A wildfire in the High Fens area of eastern Belgium has burned about 900 hectares of vegetation and remains out of control as of late Saturday morning, with additional military and aerial resources being deployed to contain the blaze.
The fire broke out shortly after 1 pm Friday in the Fagne des Deux-Series area near the Drossart roundabout in Baelen municipality, in the eastern province of Liege. The cause remains unknown.
Local fire officials said Saturday morning that the blaze was still spreading. According to media reports, a shift in wind direction was pushing the fire toward a different area, complicating firefighting efforts, Xinhua News Agency reported.
More than 100 people worked through the night to contain the fire, according to local authorities. Media reports said firefighters from other Belgian provinces and neighbouring Germany had joined the operation, with local farmers helping refill a water source used by firefighting helicopters.
Baelen Mayor Nathalie Thonnissen said a third helicopter was being deployed Saturday to reinforce aerial firefighting operations, as many parts of the affected area are inaccessible to fire engines. The Belgian Defence Ministry said three Panther firefighting vehicles were also being sent to support operations on the ground.
Local authorities said a provincial emergency plan had been activated on Friday. The N68 national road and several other roads remain closed, while access to the Gileppe reservoir and the Eupen dam has been suspended. No residents had been evacuated as of Saturday morning.
The High Fens, located in eastern Belgium, is home to several habitats of European conservation importance. In 2011, a major wildfire in the area burned more than 1,300 hectares of vegetation, the largest area on record.
The fire comes as Belgium is experiencing its third heatwave of the summer. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, western Europe recorded its hottest June-July period on record this year, while persistent heat and drought increased wildfire risks.
More than 568,000 hectares had burned across the European Union as of August 13, data from the European Forest Fire Information System showed. The burned area remained well above the 20-year average for this time of year.
–IANS
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