Nearly 48 hours after the wildfire broke out in the Fagnes, authorities in Baelen have thanked the public for its solidarity but urged people not to travel to the area or contact emergency teams directly.
Many residents have come forward to support crews working on the ground, showing what the municipality described on social media as strong generosity and solidarity.
But Baelen said the scale of the response had created practical difficulties, with teams already dealing with the fire unable to manage at the same time a large number of offers of help.
The municipality said requests for assistance are being coordinated by the relevant authorities and stressed that there is currently no need for food donations.
It added that planning for the coming days is being organised gradually, with priority given to professionals and the organisations already involved, so that support can be arranged efficiently and in line with operational needs.
Baelen said volunteers would be called on once needs have been clearly identified.
In the meantime, the municipality asked citizens not to go to the site on their own initiative and not to repeatedly contact operational teams.
For people who still want to help, a young resident of Baelen has launched the platform aidefagnes.be, which connects volunteers with non-profit groups and institutions that need support.
