In brief
The High Fens wildfire, described as Belgium’s biggest in recent history, has more than tripled in size in a single day, reaching 3,000 hectares across the eastern border. Firefighters, backed by aerial support from Sweden and the Netherlands, are fighting to contain flames amid high temperatures and difficult terrain. Local farmers joined the effort, and two nearby villages were evacuated, though no homes were damaged. The blaze is part of a wider European wildfire outbreak following an unusually hot summer.
The blaze has more than tripled in a single day, growing from 850 hectares to 3,000 hectares since Saturday morning, making it the largest forest fire Belgium has seen in recent history.
Hundreds of firefighters, with support from Sweden, the Netherlands and local farmers, have been battling the flames in the High Fens nature reserve, which lies along the eastern border with Germany.
The high heat, moorland terrain and bog‑like ground have hampered efforts, and while the front near Jalhay and Monschau has been brought under control, the fire remains a threat to nearby villages, prompting evacuations but with no reported property damage.
The fire is part of a weekend of widespread wildfires across Europe, with incidents reported in Greece, Croatia, Spain and Serbia after a summer of extreme heat, a record‑breaking period for the continent.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said that aerial water‑bombing by helicopters from Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden was essential in containing the flames; however, access challenges mean the cause of the fire remains unclear.
