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Due to the massive forest fire in eastern Belgium, German authorities have ordered an evacuation in parts of the border town of Monschau in North Rhine-Westphalia state in western Germany.<\/p>\n
The current situation required the immediate evacuation of a number of streets, the town of Monschau announced on its website late Sunday.<\/p>\n
Residents were told to leave the affected homes immediately. Emergency accommodation was set up at a secondary school in the area. Seventeen homes and up to 30 people were affected.<\/p>\n
Earlier Sunday, authorities in Monschau said there were no indications that the blaze would spread into Germany and that evacuations were not currently necessary.<\/p>\n
On Sunday afternoon, Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin told broadcaster RTL that firefighters managed to bring parts of the blaze under control, including the front spreading towards Monschau.<\/p>\n
But he did say then that winds are “completely unpredictable, shifting through a full 360-degrees in the course of a single day,” adding that the direction in which the fire spreads remains uncertain.<\/p>\n
The wildfire has destroyed around 3,000 hectares in the High Fens nature reserve in eastern Belgium.<\/p>\n
Belgium has received support from several European countries, including two firefighting helicopters from the Netherlands and two water-bombing aircraft from Sweden. Firefighters from Germany and Luxembourg were already at the scene, local authorities said.<\/p>\n
According to the province of Li\u00e8ge, the fire is not yet under control. Around 500 emergency personnel and 120 vehicles are involved in the firefighting effort.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n