The situation in the border area between Belgium and North Rhine-Westphalia is stable and has not deteriorated, according to Philipp Krüger, the incident commander of the Monschau fire brigade. However, strong winds and gusts from the southwest are forecast for Tuesday. Krüger spoke of a “completely new situation” that the emergency services are now preparing for.
The fire had recently come within 300 meters of the German border. During the night, the fire did not advance further toward the town of Monschau, but there is no all-clear. Rain in the morning brought only slight relief, said Monschau’s independent mayor, Carmen Krämer. The roughly 30 residents from Monschau-Kalterherberg who were evacuated on Sunday therefore cannot yet return to their homes.
Around 60 firefighters from Monschau are supporting their Belgian colleagues with hoses. In addition, two Bundeswehr helicopters of the NH-90 type are helping with water containers. On the Belgian side, the situation is tense: King Philippe has interrupted his vacation, the public prosecutor’s office in Liège is investigating arson, and the interior minister has asked the European Union for help.
With an area of around 3,000 hectares, this is one of the largest forest fires in Belgium’s history. Fighting it is particularly difficult because the ground consists of peat, as Belgian fire brigade commander Luc Burette explained. Belgium’s Interior Minister Bernard Quintin warned that if it spreads further, a national state of emergency would have to be declared.
Source: Tagesschau
