A large heath fire in the municipalities of Maasmechelen and As is under control, the East Limburg fire brigade announced late Thursday night.
The fire brigade used helicopters, drones, and monitoring teams for extra inspections, which yielded reassuring results.
Crews continued extinguishing operations on-site and were closely monitoring the situation. Smoke and odour issues persisted and were expected to last for several more hours.
People experiencing smoke or odour nuisance were advised to keep windows and doors closed overnight and to ventilate properly on Friday, once these nuisances subside, according to the East Limburg fire brigade’s communications department.
The fire service received a call about a wildfire in the Mechelse Heide area of Hoge Kempen National Park shortly before 9 p.m. Smoke was visible from kilometres away, and the fire’s glow could be seen from Steenweg naar As (N763) in Maasmechelen. Fire engines navigated Weg naar Heiwick to get closer to the blaze.
At least nine forest fire engines and several tankers were dispatched, although no homes were in danger as the fire was isolated in a nature area.
The mayor of the nearby town of Lanaken, Marino Keulen, reassured residents on Thursday evening that the fire had not spread to Lanaken’s forests and natural reserves, although there were four separate fire fronts.
The fire brigade was expected to continue its firefighting efforts for several more hours.
The extent of the damage to the natural environment is expected to become clearer on Friday.
