Hundreds of villagers were ordered to evacuate in eastern Belgium on Saturday as firefighters fought a wildfire that had burned more than 2,700 hectares, the largest on record in Belgium, with European Union aircraft and water bombers assisting.

The fire began on Friday in the High Fens park near the German border and rapidly expanded across peatland and pine forest, scorching 2,620 hectares more than the 80 hectares recorded the previous day, according to local authorities.

Residents of Sourbrodt and Buetgenbach were instructed to leave on Saturday afternoon, and about 600 people were relocated to a gymnasium in Malmedy that was opened as a shelter, the Belgian Red Cross said.

Regional officials warned that rugged terrain hampered ground access, forcing firefighters to retreat to forest edges and allow parts of the heathland to burn, while reliance on aerial resources increased, according to a spokesperson for the Wallonia regional authorities.

The European Union civil protection mechanism was activated, allowing the deployment of a Dutch helicopter already on site and two additional helicopters and two Swedish water‑bombing aircraft expected to become operational the next day, European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib told AFP.

The blaze occurred during a period of intense heat, with temperatures reaching 37 °C in parts of Belgium, and was part of a broader pattern of early and northern wildfire activity linked to climate upheaval, she added.

An AFP journalist entered the burn zone and observed extensive blackened vegetation and thick yellow smoke, while officials noted the fire remained uncontrolled and posed a risk to nearby homes.

Farmers posted images on social media showing themselves assisting emergency crews, and Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said he was shocked by the speed of the destruction but thanked volunteers for helping to wet down the area.

The fire was located a few dozen kilometres from a separate major blaze in western Germany that had forced the evacuation of about 1,800 people, according to reports.

The situation remained unresolved as of Saturday night, with officials stating that full containment had not yet been achieved and that continued aerial support would be required.