\n Belgium called in aerial reinforcements from across Europe on Sunday as firefighters battled the country\u2019s largest wildfire in more than a century, with flames spreading rapidly through a difficult-to-reach nature reserve near the German border. <\/p>\n
Issued on: 16\/08\/2026 – 14:24<\/p>\n
2 min Reading time\n<\/p>\n
More than 250 firefighters and emergency personnel worked through the night in the High Fens nature park<\/a>, where authorities said conditions remained challenging after the affected area more than doubled in the space of 24 hours.<\/p>\n The fire broke out on Friday for reasons that are still unknown, initially burning around 80 hectares. By Saturday morning, the affected area had grown to 850 hectares, before expanding to around 3,000 hectares by early Sunday.<\/p>\n The blaze is the largest recorded in Belgium since 1911, when the same region was hit by major wildfires during a similar period of heat and drought.<\/p>\n A thick plume of yellowish smoke has blanketed the area close to the German border, prompting the evacuation of residents from parts of two nearby villages.<\/p>\n No homes had been damaged by Sunday morning, authorities said, although the fire remained out of control<\/a> and several fronts were still active.<\/p>\n Changing winds have added to the challenge, repeatedly altering the direction of the flames and making containment efforts more difficult.<\/p>\n Firefighters from across Belgium have been joined by crews from neighbouring Germany, with modern fire engines deployed to strengthen the response.<\/p>\n EU crisis chief calls for prevention funding as wildfire crisis rages on<\/a><\/p>\n Difficult terrain hampers firefighters <\/p>\n The High Fens is a landscape of heathland, peat bogs, pine forests and raised wooden walkways, making it particularly difficult for emergency crews to operate.<\/p>\n Authorities described firefighting operations as \u201cparticularly complex\u201d, with heavy vehicles at risk of sinking into the soft ground and crews unable to get close to some sections of the blaze.<\/p>\n Rescue teams have also been unable to reach the area where the fire is believed to have started, meaning investigators have not yet been able to establish its cause<\/a>.<\/p>\n The fragile peatland environment presents an additional challenge because fires can continue burning below the surface even after visible flames have been extinguished.<\/p>\n With ground access limited, authorities have increasingly turned to aircraft to help slow the fire\u2019s advance.<\/p>\n Belgian federal police helicopters and aircraft from the Netherlands were operating over the area on Sunday morning, repeatedly collecting water from a nearby lake before dropping it over the affected zone.<\/p>\n Macron calls for EU reinforcements as France battles spreading wildfires<\/a><\/p>\n European reinforcements arrive <\/p>\n Further support was expected later on Sunday under the European Union\u2019s civil protection mechanism<\/a>, which Belgium activated as the scale of the fire became clear.<\/p>\n Helicopters from the Czech Republic and Swedish water-bombing aircraft were due to join the operation, adding significant capacity to the aerial response.<\/p>\n European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said on Saturday that Norway and Germany could also provide additional aircraft.<\/p>\n Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever thanked European countries for responding to Belgium\u2019s request for assistance.<\/p>\n Local farmers have also joined the effort, making water tankers available to emergency crews as firefighters work to contain the flames.<\/p>\n