Hundreds evacuated as Belgium fights largest wildfire in its modern history
Firefighters in eastern Belgium are battling the country's biggest wildfire on record, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of villagers near the German border. The blaze has already burned more than 2,700 hectares of nature reserve.
Eastern Belgium remained under threat on Saturday from one of the country's most destructive wildfires, with hundreds of villagers ordered to evacuate as firefighters struggled to contain the flames. The fire began Friday in the High Fens nature park near the German border and spread rapidly, leaving large stretches of the reserve blackened.
Local authorities said the fire had burned more than 2,700 hectares by late Saturday, a dramatic jump from roughly 80 hectares the day before. Officials described it as the largest wildfire in Belgium's modern history. The affected area, made up of fragile peat bogs and pine forest, previously suffered similar devastation in 1911 during a comparable spell of extreme heat and drought.
The rugged terrain — a mix of heathland, peat bogs and wooden boardwalks — has made firefighting especially difficult, forcing crews to retreat to the forest's edge and let parts of the heath burn rather than approach directly. Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for Wallonia's regional authorities, said the fire remained uncontained and that there was a risk it could reach nearby homes.
Evacuations and shelter
On Saturday afternoon, residents in parts of the villages of Sourbrodt and Bütgenbach were told to evacuate as a precaution, with the Belga news agency reporting around 600 people affected. A gymnasium in nearby Malmedy was opened as a shelter, where Belgian Red Cross volunteers provided food, water and rest areas, particularly for vulnerable residents. Others in the area were advised to stay indoors with doors and windows shut.
Belgium quickly activated the European Union's civil protection mechanism to request international support. A Dutch helicopter was already assisting, with two more en route along with two Swedish water-bombing planes. European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib called the fire a stark example of the continent's shifting climate, noting that the wildfire season had never before started so early or reached such northern latitudes.
Many farmers shared images on social media of themselves heading to the fire zone to help emergency crews. Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said he was shocked by the speed and scale of the destruction, while praising the efforts of both firefighters and volunteering farmers.
Like much of Europe, Belgium has faced intense heat in recent days, with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius on Friday. Just a few dozen kilometres away, another major wildfire is burning in western Germany, having already forced the evacuation of about 1,800 people near the town of Huertgenwald.
