Brussels: Light rain in eastern Belgium on Monday helped slow the spread of the High Fens wildfire, though not enough to halt it, according to local authorities and media reports.
The blaze, one of Belgium’s biggest wildfires, has burned about 3,000 hectares since breaking out Friday afternoon.
Walloon authorities said Monday morning that the fire had been contained in areas accessible to emergency crews. Overnight, however, the blaze continued to spread in an area inaccessible to crews on foot, though its expansion remained limited thanks to more favourable winds and rainfall.
Around 600 residents evacuated earlier were still unable to return home, while no new evacuations were planned for the time being. Several roads in and around the affected area remained closed to traffic, Xinhua News Agency reported.
German media reported that the fire was no longer spreading toward the border town of Monschau. About 30 residents there had been evacuated as a precaution on Sunday evening because of heavy smoke and the risk of the fire spreading further.
Nearly 500 personnel and more than 120 vehicles were involved in firefighting operations on Monday, with nine aircraft from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Sweden providing air support. The aerial operation was being coordinated by the European Union’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC).
King Philippe arrived in the affected area on Monday to meet emergency teams and other personnel involved in the firefighting operation.
Marc Gilbert, president of the Royal Federation of Belgian Firefighters, called for the creation of a joint European fleet of firefighting aircraft that could be mobilized by member states during major wildfires. He said individual countries often lacked the resources to acquire such equipment on their own.
The Liege prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the cause of the wildfire, according to Belgian media.
(IANS)
