Residents of the North Rhine-Westphalian town of Monschau have been ordered to evacuate as Belgium's biggest-ever wildfire continues to burn in the High Fens and crosses into German territory. The inferno has scorched around 3,000 hectares of land so far, doubling in size over the past 24 hours.
Evacuation and Emergency Shelter
Residents have been advised to abandon their homes immediately, with an emergency shelter set up at a high school in Simmerath, roughly about five miles away.
Belgium's biggest-ever wildfire tore through the Higher Fens nature reserve in the nation's east on Friday, prompting an emergency response from Germany, Luxembourg, and the broader European Union.
Impact on Nearby Residents
Around 600 residents in Liège, close to the German border, were ordered to evacuate on Saturday as thick smoke choked the air around their homes.
The fire's rapid spread has now made it a cross-border emergency, with German authorities taking action to protect local communities.
