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Wildfire burns 3,000 hectares in Belgium
Belgium activated EU civil protection as a wildfire spread through Hautes Fagnes and forced evacuations near Germany.
What happened
A wildfire burning through the Hautes Fagnes reserve in eastern Belgium prompted evacuations on both sides of the German border. Firefighters, farmers and aircraft worked to contain it. Belgium activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to seek European assistance as the fire continued to spread.
Numbers
- 3,000 hectaresburned by early Sunday
- 600 residentsurged to evacuate in Belgium — In Sourbrodt and Bütgenbach
- 1 kilometrelength of active fire front
Questions
- Why is the blaze difficult to contain?
- Dry peat can burn below ground, while moorland, forest terrain, heat and shifting winds restrict access and make water operations harder.
- Which communities remain affected?
- Evacuated residents in Belgian villages had not returned by Monday, and people near Monschau in Germany were advised to leave because of smoke.
- How are local farmers helping firefighters?
- Farmers brought tractors and water tanks to wet verges, supplementing fire crews, helicopters and water-bombing aircraft operating around the reserve.
- What happens if flames enter Germany?
- Authorities in Monschau prepared firefighting measures so crews could begin work immediately if the blaze crossed the border.
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The catch
The reports cover different stages of the response, not a final assessment of damage.