The wildfire in the High Fens that has burned about 3,000 hectares since Friday barely spread on Monday. However, it is not yet under control, and the firefighters’ work will continue for “weeks”, according to the Federal Interior Minister Bernard Quintin.
Rain and wind helped limit the fire’s advance, and officials said its development was very restricted in the only area not yet contained: an eastern front that ground crews cannot reach on foot.
René Dahmen, head of the local district for the Department of Nature and Forests in Elsenborn, said on Monday that officials hoped the fire could be brought under control “today, tomorrow or the day after”.
A large aerial operation was launched to support firefighters. Germany and Norway each sent two helicopters on Monday, adding to two Belgian federal police aircraft, one Dutch helicopter and two Swedish planes.
However, low cloud cover delayed air operations until late afternoon.
All hands on deck
Around 500 people were working on the ground on Monday, including firefighters, farmers, Defence personnel and German crews brought in as reinforcements.
Local and federal police were also deployed, with about 120 officers on the ground each day carrying out a range of tasks, Quintin said.
The Interior Minister said firefighting operations would continue for “weeks”, partly because motorised equipment cannot be sent into the High Fens. He added that the fire remained unpredictable and dependent on wind and other conditions.
Several main roads remained closed on Monday.
King Philippe visits crisis centre
King Philippe visited the provincial crisis centre in Vottem late in the morning on Monday, where he was briefed on the situation.
He praised the emergency services and described the wildfire as “a difficult moment for Belgium”.
The King then travelled to Sourbrodt, in the municipality of Waimes, where firefighters have set up a new command centre. There, he commended their “remarkable work” and the strong co-operation between services and different levels of government.
Public and European support
Public support has also gathered pace. The platform aidefagnes.be, launched at the start of the fire, has already received more than 3,300 offers of help.
These include food, drinks, animal cages, accommodation and offers from businesses ready to provide specialised equipment.
Support has also come from Europe, which is supplying satellite imagery through its Copernicus Emergency Management Service to assist the wildfire response.
A phone line set up by the municipality of Baelen to co-ordinate donations and support was closed at 20:00 on Monday after officials said enough help had been received for current needs.
Liège governor Hervé Jamar thanked individuals, associations and companies for their solidarity, saying the level of support was sufficient for the needs identified so far and for developments in the situation.
Separately, the Federation of Young Farmers launched a fundraising drive on Facebook for farmers mobilised to help firefighters.
Improving conditions and residents
Improving conditions allowed nearly 500 Sourbrodt residents evacuated on Saturday to return home from 21:00 on Monday, after spending two nights at the sports hall in Malmedy.
The municipality said emergency services and the relevant authorities had confirmed that residents could return in sufficiently safe conditions.
Air quality also improved on Monday, allowing Malmedy’s nursery to reopen on Tuesday, while various activities will also be able to resume.
A stock of FFP2 masks has also been made available to local residents.
