Belgium Battles Record Wildfire as High Fens Blaze Moves Towards Germany
Main Developments in the Belgium Wildfire Crisis
By Bart Biesemans and Kate Abnett
Firefighting Efforts and International Assistance
HAUTES FAGNES/BRUSSELS, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Firefighters battled with the aid of Dutch helicopters on Sunday to contain Belgium's biggest wildfire, which has already burned 3,000 hectares of land and which local authorities said was heading towards the German border.
European Wildfire Situation
Across Europe, successive heatwaves have intensified drought and left vegetation tinder-dry, fuelling severe wildfires.
Impact on Neighboring Countries
Two people died on Sunday as fires swept through the Greek island of Salamina, while a hundred French firefighters were on their way to help combat a blaze in Aragon, Spain, which has destroyed 16,600 hectares.
High Fens Blaze: Scope and Response
The blaze in the High Fens, a nature reserve in the east of Belgium, has been burning since Friday and firefighters from across the country and neighbouring Germany and Luxembourg have sought to contain it, as have the army and farmers.
Responders on Sunday were focused on the front line of the fire moving towards Germany, said Stephanie Ernoux, spokesperson for the administration of the Belgian region of Wallonia.
Evacuations and Local Impact
Local authorities said the defensive line protecting evacuated villages was holding, although residents who had been evacuated on Saturday were told they should not yet return.
Record-Breaking Wildfire in Belgium
The fire is Belgium's biggest on record, more than double the size of a blaze in 2011 that burned close to 1,400 hectares, data from the European Forest Fire Information System showed.
Firefighters’ Perspective
"We would never have imagined that Belgium would be affected by a fire of this scale. Now, we have to face the facts," Karim Bouarfa, captain of a fire brigade that worked through Saturday night, told Reuters.
"I think we will have more and more of them, so it is up to us to prepare ourselves as best as possible," he said.
Climate Change and Wildfire Risk
Scientists say that human-caused climate change has increased the likelihood of the hot and dry conditions that allow wildfires to spread faster and burn longer.
Cross-Border Concerns and EU Support
Germany's Monschau on Sunday asked residents near the border with Belgium to leave, noting that the fire was not expected to reach German territory but significant smoke pollution was likely.
The EU deployed three helicopters and two water bombing aircraft from around Europe on Saturday after Belgium requested emergency reinforcements.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Kate Abnett and Bart Biesemans; Additional reporting by Christoph Steitz and Graham Keeley; Editing by David Goodman and Alexander Smith)
