Belgian Wildfire Rises Amid Europe’s Heatwave, Threatening Largest Nature Reserve
A wildfire described as the city’s largest in recent history has more than doubled in size in 24 hours, according to local officials on Sunday.
Hundreds of firefighters spent the third day battling flames tearing through the High Fens – Belgium’s largest nature reserve – leading to the evacuation of two nearby villages.
The wildfire began on Friday at 80 hectares (200 acres). By Saturday morning it expanded to 850 hectares, then surged to 3,000 hectares by early Sunday, AFP reports.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said fronts heading toward Jalhay and Monschau were under control, but conditions remained challenging and aerial assistance essential. No homes have been affected so far.
The flames were assisted by two water‑bombing aircraft from Sweden and four helicopters from Belgium and the Netherlands, marking a coordinated cross‑border response.
High heat and bog-like terrain impeded ground crews, and the cause of the fire remains unknown because the area is difficult to access. Firefighters are allowed to let parts of the heathland burn to avoid new outbreaks.
This incident arrives as Europe experiences a series of fire outbreaks during a record heatwave, including fires in Greece, Croatia, Spain, and Serbia. The EU’s climate monitoring service Copernicus logged the hottest June‑July period on record for western Europe.
