Rain offers limited relief as Belgium fights major forest fire into fourth day

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Rain on Monday provided some relief to firefighters battling a forest fire in southeastern Belgium on its fourth day, officials said. The blaze, described by authorities as one of the largest the country has faced in a century, has scorched wide areas of woodland. Federal officials said the rainfall was expected to slow the rate at which the flames were spreading. However, they warned that the risk remained high across the region because of weekend drought conditions and strong winds. Fire crews continued ground and aerial operations to contain the fire, while evacuation decisions were being directed by local authorities, according to federal officials. Monitoring of the site is set to continue to address the possibility of new flare-ups.