Belgium fights record wildfire near German border, prompting evacuations

A wildfire that ignited on Friday in the High Fens nature reserve in eastern Belgium has spread across roughly 2,700 hectares of peatland and pine forest, prompting large-scale firefighting efforts and evacuations on both sides of the border. The blaze came within 300 metres of Germany, leading authorities in the German town of Monschau to evacuate about 30 residents from 17 homes as a precaution.

Belgian officials ordered the evacuation of around 600 people in the municipalities of Waimes, Sourbrodt and Buetgenbach, and opened a gymnasium in a neighboring area to provide shelter. Tourists were also advised to leave the region. "You can't see a thing anymore, there's smoke everywhere," restaurant owner David Rodolfs said to AFP.

The Belgian interior minister said he was "shocked" by the fire's speed and scale, while a Walloon regional spokesperson noted the risk to homes and said all available resources were being deployed. Difficult terrain has limited ground operations, increasing reliance on aerial assets. Belgium activated the EU civil protection mechanism, bringing three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft from the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Netherlands, and received assistance from German and Luxembourg firefighters and local farmers.

Light rain, reduced winds and higher humidity on Monday helped slow the fire's advance toward the German border. Monschau, a tourist town of about 12,000 residents, lies roughly two kilometres from the blaze and 23 km from another recent wildfire in Germany's Eifel region.

The incident follows a spell of extreme heat in Belgium, with temperatures reaching 37 °C in some areas. European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib described the fire as evidence of a broader "climate upheaval" affecting Europe.