Belgium's worst wildfire on record forces cross-border evacuations near Germany
A wildfire in Belgium's High Fens nature reserve has burned about 30 square kilometers, surpassing the country's 2011 record. Germany's Monschau region has advised residents to evacuate due to smoke, not flames.
A wildfire tearing through Belgium's High Fens nature reserve has burned about 30 square kilometers since Friday, surpassing a 2011 blaze that had been the country's largest wildfire on record. More than 600 residents near the German border were evacuated as smoke shifted toward populated areas, and over 250 emergency personnel, backed by aircraft from Sweden, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, are fighting the flames. Belgium's interior minister says crews have so far kept the fire from reaching the German border town of Monschau, though local authorities there are still warning residents about smoke and ash.