A record-breaking blaze is pushing emergency crews to the limit, while smoke, evacuations, and international support reveal the fire’s growing scale.
Belgium’s largest wildfire on record is ongoing. As of the morning of August 16, the blaze had engulfed around 3,000 hectares of the High Fens nature reserve in the east of the country and had approached the border with Germany.
The fire began on Friday. Overnight, emergency crews worked to contain the flames, with fire units from different regions of Belgium as well as specialists from Germany and Luxembourg joining the operation. Military personnel and local farmers are also helping to tackle the blaze.
Firefighters are trying to stop the fire near the German border
On Sunday, efforts were focused on the area where the fire is moving toward Germany. Emergency crews hope that lower temperatures and higher humidity will help slow the spread of the blaze.
The current fire is more than twice the size of the major 2011 blaze, when nearly 1,400 hectares of the High Fens burned.
In the German town of Monschau, located near the Belgian border, authorities do not expect the flames to spread into Germany. However, they warned of heavy smoke. Residents of areas near the border were advised to temporarily leave their homes.
Evacuated residents are not yet being allowed to return
Following Belgium’s request for emergency assistance, the European Union dispatched three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft. The aircraft were deployed to strengthen efforts to combat the large-scale wildfire.
Local authorities said that as of Sunday, the protective line around the evacuated villages was holding. However, people evacuated on Saturday are still not being advised to return home because of the proximity of the fire and heavy smoke.
No residential buildings have been damaged so far. The fire broke out during the fifth heatwave of this summer, which has affected Belgium and several other European countries. Hot, dry weather creates conditions in which wildfires can spread more quickly and last longer.