Arabic version: رجال الإطفاء البلجيكيون يكافحون حريقاً كبيراً في محمية هضاب الفين

According to BBC News, firefighters were battling a wildfire in Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve on Saturday, with local officials describing it as the country’s largest blaze in recent history. The fire had been burning since Friday and remained out of control on Saturday afternoon.

Flames consumed about a third of the High Fens, Belgium’s largest nature reserve, near the country’s eastern border with Germany. Residents of two nearby villages were ordered to evacuate as officials warned that the blaze could reach homes. A nearby gymnasium was opened to accommodate people leaving their properties.

Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for regional authorities in Wallonia, said all available resources were being deployed to protect homes. Firefighters faced difficult weather conditions and terrain including bog-like areas, moorland and forests. Yernaux said parts of the heathland had been allowed to burn because the area was hard to access.

Belgium activated the European Union’s civil protection mechanism to seek support from other countries. European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said two Swedish water-bombing aircraft and two helicopters, from the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, were on their way.

The Belgian fire was one of several wildfires reported across Europe. In south-western France, 650 residents left their homes as a wildfire in Landes reignited on Saturday, where more than 500 firefighters were deployed. Fires were also reported in Croatia, Spain and Serbia after a summer of extreme heat. Copernicus, the EU’s climate monitoring service, said western Europe recorded its hottest June-to-July period on record.