Belgium battles largest wildfire on record as EU deploys aircraft across borders

Belgium's largest wildfire on record

A wildfire that broke out around midday on Friday in the High Fens nature reserve in eastern Belgium has become the country's largest blaze on record, scorching approximately 2,700 hectares near the German border. The fire surpassed a 2011 blaze that burned nearly 1,400 hectares, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System cited by Reuters. By Friday evening, the fire had consumed 80 hectares. It expanded to 1,650 hectares by midday Saturday, according to Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the Walloon authorities, and reached 1,600 hectares by early Saturday afternoon per statistics from the governor of Liège province. Deutsche Welle reported the figure at approximately 2,700 hectares in its latest update.

Evacuations and emergency response

Authorities ordered around 600 residents in parts of Waimes, Sourbrodt, and Buetgenbach to evacuate as shifting winds and heavy smoke raised concerns the fire could reach homes. The first evacuations in Sourbrodt and Buetgenbach were ordered at around 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) on Saturday, according to a local authorities' Facebook post. Tourists were also advised to leave, and a gymnasium in a neighboring municipality was opened as shelter.

Belgium activated the EU's civil protection mechanism, bringing in three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft from the Czech Republic, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Firefighters from Germany and Luxembourg also joined the response, while farmers helped emergency crews by wetting down the area. Firefighters and farmers were pumping water from local lakes to battle the blaze, a Wallonia infrastructure department spokesperson told Reuters.

Terrain and firefighting challenges

The fire spread rapidly across peatlands and pine forests in the High Fens, Belgium's largest nature reserve. The terrain consists of bog-like territory, moorland, and forests, hampering ground operations. Firefighters allowed parts of the heathland to burn because the area is very difficult to access, Yernaux said, with operations relying heavily on aerial resources.

Gregory Melotte, one of those working to extinguish the blaze, told Belgian broadcaster RTBF that crews managed to calm the fire coming from the plain to prevent it from spreading into the fir forest. He noted the wind had shifted twice, once in their favour and once against them.

Heatwave conditions and climate context

Belgium experienced its fifth heatwave of the summer this week, with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius in parts of the country. Scientists say human-caused climate change is increasing the likelihood of hot and dry conditions that allow wildfires to spread faster and burn longer.

European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib called the blaze the latest sign of the "climate upheaval" affecting the continent.

Never before has the wildfire season started so early in the year and reached such northern latitudes.

Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin told AFP he was "shocked" at the fire's speed and extent of the destruction.

Wildfires across Europe

The Belgian blaze was among several wildfires burning across Europe on Saturday. In France's Landes region, a fire that began on Thursday reignited on Saturday, devastating 15.8 square kilometres of forest and forcing 650 people from their homes. Some 550 firefighters were deployed, and regional prefect Gilles Clavreul asked the government to deploy a Chinook water-bombing helicopter sent by Australia.

In Germany's Eifel region, just across the border from Belgium, some 1,400 firefighters battled a fire that forced the evacuation of 1,800 people from Huertgenwald, a town of 9,000 residents. In Croatia, more than 100 firefighters and two water-bombing planes fought a forest fire on the island of Dugi Otok. Forest fires were also reported in Spain and Serbia.