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Belgium wildfire expands sharply as authorities evacuate nearby villages

Belgium’s largest modern-day wildfire burned 3,000 hectares by early Sunday, up from 850 hectares Saturday morning, according to authorities.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Europe

Firefighters in Belgium are battling the country’s largest modern-day wildfire in the High Fens park near the German border, after the blaze more than tripled in size over about a day. Conditions have been described as challenging in the hard-to-access nature reserve.

According to authorities, the area affected rose from 80 hectares on Friday, when the fire broke out for reasons still unknown, to 850 hectares Saturday morning. By early Sunday, it had spread to 3,000 hectares, and a thick plume of yellowish smoke has blanketed the border area.

More than 250 firefighters and emergency personnel were mobilized through the night, and authorities said they were counting on crucial air support on Sunday to help tame the blaze. The fire is burning fragile peatlands and pine forests that were previously ravaged in 1911, during a similar stretch of heatwaves and drought.

Residents from parts of two villages close to the fire have been evacuated, as officials responded to the growing risk from the large-scale wildfire, reported by SCMP Economy.

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