Firefighters from across Europe are battling a historic blaze that has destroyed over 3,000 hectares in eastern Belgium, prompting evacuations near the German border.
BRUSSELS, August 17 — Firefighters are working relentlessly to contain Belgium’s largest wildfire on record, which has already incinerated over 3,000 hectares of land in the eastern High Fens nature reserve. The massive blaze, which ignited on August 14, has prompted a major international response and forced evacuations near the German border. The current scale of the destruction is more than double the size of the country’s previous record fire in 2011, which burned roughly 1,400 hectares.
The fire has been fueled by weeks of hot, dry weather and a succession of heatwaves across Europe. The High Fens reserve is primarily composed of peat bogs and heathlands, terrain that complicates firefighting efforts. Over the weekend, the blaze advanced rapidly toward the east, focusing the efforts of emergency responders on a frontline near the German frontier.
As the flames moved closer, the German town of Monschau, located just across the border, advised residents living nearby to evacuate due to heavy smoke pollution, although officials do not anticipate the fire spreading into German territory. Inside Belgium, authorities in Liège province reported that approximately 600 residents were evacuated from their homes, and while defensive lines have held, they have been advised not to return yet. “No homes have been affected at this stage, although the fire remains close and smoke levels are significant,” the office of the governor of Liege stated.
The firefighting effort has evolved into a massive cross-border operation. Over 250 emergency personnel, including firefighters from Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg, alongside the Belgian army and local farmers, are working to hold the defensive lines. Air support has also been critical in battling the blaze in areas difficult for ground vehicles to access. Following a request for urgent reinforcements from Brussels, the European Union deployed three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft. Additionally, Dutch Chinook helicopters have been assisting crews from the air.
Emergency responders are hoping that cooler and more humid weather conditions will aid their efforts to bring the historic blaze under control.
