Belgium battles historic wildfire as heat fuels blazes across Europe
Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve has experienced a wildfire that has more than doubled in size to around 3,000 hectares, marking the largest in Belgium’s recorded history.
Belgium’s activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism facilitated the deployment of international firefighting resources, indicating a coordinated regional response to the unprecedented wildfire threat.
“We have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, deploying three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft to support ongoing firefighting efforts,” stated the Belgian government.
Europe continues to battle wildfires as Belgium sees biggest blaze in recorded history
Published on •Updated
Wildfires are continuing to burn across several parts of Europe, with firefighters battling major blazes in Belgium, Germany, France, Croatia, Spain and Greece amid persistent heat and dry conditions.
A fire in Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve has more than doubled in size in 24 hours, to around 3,000 hectares. The fire, which started two days ago, is now the largest wildfire in Belgium’s recorded history.
Authorities in the country’s Wallonia region said more than 250 firefighters and other emergency service workers were deployed on Saturday night. The reserve is particularly vulnerable to wildfires because of its extensive peatlands and pine forests, which have been dried out by prolonged hot weather
In a post on social media, Belgium’s unified defence force said it had sent personnel and vehicles to support firefighters.
Firefighters from neighbouring Germany and Luxembourg have also been sent to help contain the fire, which is heading towards the border with Germany. Local farmers have also been assisting with the blaze.
Belgium activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on Saturday, which brought in three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft from Sweden, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
On Saturday afternoon, some residents in Belgium’s Liège province were asked to evacuate their homes. Local media reports that 600 people had been asked to leave, and that a rest shelter had been set up in a gymnasium in the neighbouring Malmedy municipality.
Across the border inside Germany, emergency services made significant progress in fighting a fire in the Hürtgen forest that forced evacuations on Friday. Around 2,000 people who had to leave the village of Gey were able to return home on Saturday evening, German news agency dpa reported.
In France, authorities say there were no major flare-ups overnight as they continue to tackle large-scale fires in the southwestern Landes region. More than 1,700 hectares have been scorched since Thursday, mostly pine forests. French media reports that 550 firefighters, assisted by military personnel and six water-bombing aircraft are in attendance. The fire remains out of control.
Another fire in the northeast of the country has begun to improve. 100 hectares have burned in the Ardennes region. The situation had been described as “unprecedented in the recent history”, according to the deputy director of the Ardennes fire service, David Gouzou.
In Croatia, four people have been arrested on suspicion of starting wildfires on the coastline. Fires ripped through pine forests and olive groves amid high temperatures and droughts.
In Greece, fire crews have spent a second day fighting an outbreak in a forest on the island of Skyros. The local mayor told media he believed the fire would be fully extinguished within a day.
Authorities in Spain’s Aragon deployed what they called the largest firefighting arsenal in the region’s history as French reinforcements were due to help contain a wildfire that has threatened a 1,000-year-old monastery.
The fire, which broke out just over a week ago in its Huesca municipality of Las Peñas de Riglos continued to spread, affecting an area of up to 16,600 hectares. Windy conditions have caused the blaze to spread further, hindering efforts to contain it.
Additional sources • AP, AFP