The French-speaking Belgian Red Cross opened an emergency shelter in Malmedy on Saturday for people evacuated because of the wildfire in the High Fens.
The shelter has been set up in the town’s sports centre and can accommodate 600 people, spokesperson Nancy Ferroni told Belga.
According to an initial Red Cross estimate, just over 600 residents from the villages of Sourbrodt, in Waimes, and Bütgenbach have had to leave their homes.
The organisation has called on all crisis-response volunteers to help support the large-scale operation. Around 20 volunteers from the provinces of Namur, Luxembourg and Liège have already arrived and will work in shifts during the day and through the night.
In total, the team in Malmedy consists of 120 people specially trained in crisis management, which the Red Cross has made a priority since the devastating floods of 2021.
The aid organisation has also deployed around five vehicles to help ensure the evacuations run smoothly.
Specialist support is also being provided by the Psychosocial Emergency Assistance Service, known as SISU. Three of its experts are currently on site, with two more due to arrive overnight.
The Red Cross said psychosocial care is vital in situations like this, as residents of the affected villages were forced to evacuate in great haste.
Alongside the shelter in Malmedy, a second reception point has been set up in Jalhay, close to where the fire is burning.
That site is intended to provide rest and logistical support for emergency workers, with two volunteers on site to manage sleeping arrangements.
