Map of Greek wildfire<\/a><\/p>\n About 600 people in the municipalities of Waimes and B\u00fctgenbach, in Li\u00e8ge province, were told on Saturday to evacuate from their homes, and tourists were also advised to leave, as winds shifted and smoke spread.<\/p>\n Of those who followed the order, about 20 spent the night in a sports hall, while others sought refuge with family and friends.<\/p>\n Herv\u00e9 Jamar, the governor of Li\u00e8ge, said more than 250 firefighters and emergency staff were involved in the operation, including firefighters from Germany.<\/p>\n Farmers have used tractors to pull in water from Lake Robertville to help tackle the fire in the High Fens. Photograph: Nicolas Lambert\/Belga\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Farmers have also been helping to battle the blaze, using their tractors to pull in water from Lake Robertville.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a>Free newsletter | Every day<\/p>\n Sign up to Headlines Europe<\/p>\n A digest of the morning’s main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Air support, provided by two water-bombing aircraft from Sweden and four helicopters \u2013 two from Belgium and two from the Netherlands \u2013 is crucial owing to the nature reserve\u2019s complex and fragile terrain, which is made up of dense forest, peat bogs and raised wooden boardwalks where heavy firefighting vehicles risk sinking.<\/p>\n Access to Lake B\u00fctgenbach was prohibited on Sunday to allow the aircraft to refill.<\/p>\n Authorities described the conditions as still challenging, although two fire fronts towards Jalhay and Monschau were now under control, said Belgium\u2019s interior minister, Bernard Quintin, after visiting the crisis centre in Vottem on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n \u201cOn this third day of fighting the fires, all resources remain mobilised on the ground,\u201d he wrote on X, and he thanked all those involved. \u201cWe can also count on the solidarity of our European partners \u2026 Thank you to everyone who mobilised to fight the fires. United, we are stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n The fire, described by officials as the largest in Belgium\u2019s modern history, began in an area that in 1911 was badly affected by massive wildfires during a drought.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783176313_772_500.jpg\")
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