Wildfire engulfs Belgiums High Fens nature reserve, prompting widespread evacuation orders.

Smoke billowed into the sky as a devastating wildfire tore through Belgium's largest nature reserve on Saturday.

Devastating Blaze Engulfs High Fens

The fire, described by local officials as the country's worst in recent history, has left two nearby villages under evacuation orders and consumed nearly a third of the High Fens park.

Air support from across Europe was deployed to aid firefighters battling the blaze, which had been burning since Friday.

Residents were warned that the fire could reach homes, prompting authorities to deploy all available resources to protect them.

The challenging terrain and weather conditions have hindered firefighting efforts, with local officials attributing some areas of the park to 'difficult access'.

'We managed to calm the fire coming from the plain, to prevent it from spreading into the fir forest,' said Gregory Melotte, one of those working to extinguish the blaze.

Despite their efforts, firefighters acknowledged that the mission was far from over and that more work remained to be done to bring the blaze under control.