Tuesday is "a decisive day" to contain the wildfire in the High Fens where 3,000 hectares have already burned, as firefighters try to hold the blaze’s eastern front, according to Tony Hosmans, crisis communications official for the Governor of Liège province.
“The outcome depends on whether the ground containment strategy works,” Hosmans said early on Tuesday afternoon.
On the eastern front, crews cannot directly reach the areas still burning. Instead, firefighters are using heavy machinery to strip away the top layer of soil across several metres in width. The aim is not to stop the fire itself, but to open a route for personnel, fire hoses and, where possible, small firefighting vehicles.
Progress is being made metre by metre. For now, firefighters are trying to clear a 600-metre stretch to encircle the fire.
Hosmans said the work would take at least the whole of Tuesday. Conditions are even more difficult in marshy ground.
The focus on Tuesday is on ground operations as air support is expected to remain limited throughout the day. According to the latest midday update, low cloud cover is preventing adequate visibility.
As a result, the two Swedish water-bombing aircraft remain grounded, while helicopter operations have also been scaled back. A test flight has taken place and water drops are currently underway, according to Hosmans.
