Villagers evacuate as Belgium battles record wildfire

Hundreds of villagers were under evacuation orders in eastern Belgium on Saturday as firefighters battled one of the country's worst-ever wildfires, with vast swathes of nature reserve turned to a singed wasteland.

Reinforcements were pulled from across the country to fight the blaze that broke out Friday in the High Fens park near the German border and quickly spread, with helicopters and water bombers flying in from across the EU to help.

Described by officials as the largest in Belgium's modern history, the blaze broke out in an area of fragile peatlands and pine forests that was ravaged by massive wildfires in 1911, during a similar period of extreme heatwaves and drought.

By late Saturday, it had scorched more than 2,700 hectares (6,700 acres), up from a mere 80 hectares on Friday, the local authorities said in a statement.

"You can't see a thing anymore, there's smoke everywhere," David Rodolfs, a restaurant owner in the nearby Waimes area, told AFP by telephone.

Rodolfs said his colleagues witnessed the fire breaking out on Friday.

"There was ash falling onto the tables, and then we asked our customers to leave. No dessert, everyone had to go," said the 38-year-old.

The authorities warned that the rugged nature of the region's terrain was "preventing the emergency services from tackling the fire at close quarters... using their usual methods".

Residents in parts of the nearby villages of Sourbrodt and Buetgenbach were ordered to evacuate on Saturday afternoon as a precautionary measure, according to the authorities.

The Belga news agency reported that 600 people were told to leave. A gymnasium in the neighbouring municipality of Malmedy was opened up to offer shelter.

"We are here to provide them with information and meet their basic needs; that is, food, water and somewhere to rest, particularly for the most vulnerable people," Romane Bouhaben of the Belgian Red Cross told AFP at the scene.

Others in the area were advised to remain indoors and keep doors and windows closed.

Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the regional authorities in Wallonia, warned that the fire was not under control.

"There is a risk that the fire could reach homes, but we are deploying all available resources to protect them," Yernaux said.

An AFP journalist who was escorted into the burn zone witnessed a huge expanse of blackened vegetation, with thick yellow smoke hanging in the air.

Belgium swiftly activated the European Union's civil protection mechanism, allowing it to request personnel and equipment from across the continent.

A Dutch helicopter was already on site, with two more on the way along with two Swedish water-bombing aircraft.

"They will be operational from tomorrow," European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib told AFP, calling the blaze the latest sign of the "climate upheaval" affecting the continent. 

"Never before has the wildfire season started so early in the year and reached such northern latitudes," she said.

Operations were being made harder by the fens' terrain -- a patchwork of heath, peat bogs and raised wooden boardwalks.

Firefighters had "pulled back to the edge of the forest and allowed parts of the heathland to burn because the area is very difficult to access," Yernaux said.

"The situation is complicated and highly dependent on aerial resources," he added.

On social media, numerous farmers posted photographs of themselves heading to the fire zone to support emergency crews.

Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin told AFP he was "shocked" at the speed and extent of the destruction.

"But at the same time, we're grateful for the work that has been done. You can see the farmers out here driving around and continuing to wet down the area," Quintin said.

Like much of Europe, Belgium has experienced a fresh spell of intense heat in recent days, with temperatures reaching as high as 37 degrees Celsius in parts of the country on Friday.

The wildfire is located only a few dozen kilometres from another major blaze in western Germany, which has already forced the evacuation of about 1,800 people, with flames advancing close to the first homes in the town of Huertgenwald.