Belgian Firefighters Battle Country's Worst Wildfire at High Fens Reserve

A wildfire tearing through Belgium's largest nature reserve, the High Fens in the east of the country near the German border, has been described by authorities as the nation's "largest in recent history." The blaze, which started on Friday, had consumed roughly a third of the protected moorland and forest area by Saturday and remained out of control.

Evacuations and European Aerial Reinforcements

Two villages near the reserve were ordered to evacuate, with a local gymnasium opened to shelter displaced residents. Belgium activated the EU's civil protection mechanism, triggering support from several countries: two Swedish water-bombing aircraft and helicopters from the Czech Republic and the Netherlands were dispatched to aid hundreds of firefighters on the ground.

Risk to Homes and Difficult Terrain

Regional spokesperson Nicolas Yernaux warned the fire posed "a risk to homes" and that all available resources were deployed to protect them. Firefighters said the High Fens' bog-like terrain and dense moorland complicated their efforts, with some sections left to burn because they were too difficult to access. "We managed to calm the fire from the plain, prevent it spreading into the fir forest — but it's not over yet," one firefighter told Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

Part of a Wider European Pattern

The Belgian blaze is part of a broader wave of wildfires across Europe this summer. A fire in France's Landes region forced around 650 residents to evacuate and mobilised over 500 firefighters. Further blazes were reported in Croatia, Spain and Serbia. The EU's Copernicus climate service confirmed western Europe experienced its hottest June-to-July period on record.