High Fens: Firefighters battled a major wildfire in Belgium’s largest nature reserve on August 15, as the blaze tore through the High Fens and was described by local officials as the country’s largest wildfire in recent history.
The fire, which began on August 14, remained out of control on August 15 afternoon, prompting authorities to evacuate residents from two nearby villages as flames threatened to spread towards homes. A local gymnasium was opened to accommodate people forced to leave their properties.
Water-bombing aircraft and helicopters were deployed from several European countries to support Belgian firefighters tackling the blaze near the country’s eastern border with Germany.
Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for regional authorities in Wallonia, said the fire was Belgium’s ‘largest in recent history’ and warned that there was a risk of flames reaching residential areas. Authorities said they were using all available resources to protect nearby homes.
Firefighters faced difficult conditions because of the nature of the High Fens terrain, which includes bogs, heathland and forests. Shifting winds also complicated efforts to contain the flames and repeatedly changed the direction in which the fire was spreading.
Some areas of heathland were deliberately allowed to burn because they were too difficult for firefighters to access safely. Firefighters said they had managed to prevent flames from moving from the plains into a nearby fir forest, but warned that the situation remained dangerous.
Belgium activated the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism to request additional international support. European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said two Swedish water-bombing aircraft and helicopters from the Czech Republic and the Netherlands were being sent to assist with the firefighting operation.
The Belgian wildfire was one of several major fires reported across Europe on August 15 . In south-western France, around 650 residents were evacuated as firefighters battled a blaze in the Landes region. More than 500 firefighters were deployed after the fire, which began on August 13, reignited.
Wildfires were also reported in Croatia, Spain and Serbia following a summer of extreme heat across the continent. The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service has confirmed that western Europe experienced its hottest June-to-July period on record, conditions that have increased the risk and intensity of wildfires across the region.
MOST READ | France’s top court strikes down social media ban for under-15s
