People evacuated after fleeing the wildfire in the Hautes Fagnes are continuing to be housed in Malmedy on Sunday, with no immediate prospect of returning home, Mayor Jean-Paul Bastin told Belga.
About 20 people are currently staying at a sports centre that has been converted into temporary accommodation while authorities wait for conditions to improve.
Around 50 people arrived there on Saturday after the evacuation of three villages in the municipality of Bütgenbach: Sourbrodt, Leykaul and Küchelscheid. The evacuation order potentially affected about 600 residents.
Bastin said the operation had gone smoothly. He said the site was well suited to receive evacuees because it is accessible, close to the motorway and near shops, with buses also available.
Six people left the centre on Sunday morning to find other accommodation. For now, Bastin said, residents will not be allowed to return to the evacuated villages until the situation becomes clearer.
The fire is now spreading towards Germany, with shifting winds complicating the response.
Smoke is also a growing concern. Bastin said residents were being advised to stay indoors and avoid physical activity as much as possible.
