Belgium wildfire ravages nearly 850 hectares in eastern nature park

A significant wildfire has consumed nearly 850 hectares of land in a nature park in eastern Belgium, authorities announced Saturday. The fire, which ignited Friday afternoon in the Hautes Fagnes, a large wooded area near the German border, spread rapidly overnight.

"Firefighting operations are actively continuing on the ground," stated Hervé Jamar, the governor of the Liège province, via Facebook. He confirmed that the blaze had already affected approximately 850 hectares. Reinforcements have been mobilized from across Belgium and Germany to assist in combating the fire.

Belgium's Minister of Defence, Theo Francken, reported that three new-generation fire trucks were en route to provide additional support. As of Saturday, authorities had not reported any evacuations. The region, like much of Europe, has recently experienced a period of intense heatwaves, which likely contributed to the rapid spread and intensity of the fire.