Kathmandu— Firefighters are battling Belgium's largest wildfire on record, which broke out Friday in the Liege province and is spreading east towards Germany’s border through the High Fens nature reserve. The fire has already consumed over 27 square kilometers (10.4 square miles) of land, surpassing a previous record set in 2011 when 14 square kilometers burned in the same area. More than 250 emergency personnel from Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have been deployed to contain the rapidly spreading flames, as roughly 600 residents were advised to evacuate their homes Saturday.

Rapid Spread Prompts International Response

The wildfire’s rapid spread has necessitated a coordinated response from neighboring countries. More than 250 emergency services personnel have been deployed, including firefighters from Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, working alongside Belgian crews to combat the blaze. Firefighters are concentrating their efforts on containing the advancing front of the fire, according to Stephanie Ernoux, a spokesperson for the government of Belgium’s Wallonia province.

Evacuations Ordered as Smoke Shifts

Approximately 600 residents in the Belgian border municipalities of Waimes and Butgenbach were instructed to leave their homes on Saturday due to shifting winds carrying smoke towards populated areas. While authorities reported no homes had been directly affected by flames as of Sunday morning, they continue to urge people to stay clear of the fire zone.

German Towns Issue Warnings

The fire has come within approximately 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) of the German border in the town of Monschau. Although officials currently do not anticipate the flames crossing into Germany, residents of three districts have been advised to temporarily evacuate as a precaution against smoke inhalation.

Heatwave Fuels European Wildfires

The current wildfire is occurring amidst a period of intense heat across Europe. Belgium recently experienced temperatures reaching 37C (98.6F) on Friday, following weeks with minimal rainfall. This summer has seen repeated heatwaves and numerous wildfires force thousands to evacuate their homes in countries including Germany, France, the UK, Croatia and Greece. Approximately 500,000 hectares (about 1.24 million acres) have burned across the European Union this year.

Firefighters continue to work to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading further into Germany, with ongoing monitoring of smoke conditions in affected areas.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.