Record wildfires force evacuations in Belgium and Germany

Belgium activated European Union emergency protocols on Saturday as firefighters battled the country's largest recorded wildfire, a massive blaze in the High Fens natural park that forced the evacuation of several hundred residents and prompted the deployment of water bombers and helicopters from across the continent. The fire, which began on Friday, scorched an estimated 1,600 to 2,000 hectares of vegetation, surpassing the previous national record.

The uncontrolled wildfire broke out on Friday afternoon in the vast wood and heathland park near the German border. By Saturday afternoon, the blaze had expanded significantly, prompting evacuation orders for parts of the villages of Sourbrodt and Buetgenbach due to changing winds and heavy smoke. Local authorities coordinated the evacuation of approximately 650 residents, including the relocation of a children's summer camp. "There is a risk that the fire could reach homes, but we are deploying all available resources to protect them," said Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the regional authorities in Wallonia.

The difficult terrain of the park, a patchwork of peat bogs, heathland, and raised wooden boardwalks, hampered ground...