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Belgium Battles Largest Wildfire in Decades; EU Sends Aid
๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท Croatia /Disasters & Emergencies

Belgium Battles Largest Wildfire in Decades; EU Sends Aid

From Veฤernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Firefighters and farmers battled Belgium's largest wildfire in decades, which consumed about 1,600 hectares of the Hautes Fagnes nature reserve.
  • The European Union sent three helicopters and two water bombers from the Czech Republic, Sweden, and the Netherlands to assist.
  • The fire occurred during Europe's fifth heatwave of the summer, exacerbating dry conditions that scientists link to climate change.

Belgium is battling its largest wildfire in decades, with flames engulfing the Hautes Fagnes nature reserve. Firefighters, farmers, and the military are on the ground, using water from local lakes to combat the blaze. The fire has already scorched approximately 1,600 hectares, surpassing the previous record from 2011.

The European Union has mobilized emergency support, dispatching three helicopters and two water bombers from the Czech Republic, Sweden, and the Netherlands. This assistance comes after Belgian authorities requested urgent reinforcements to control the rapidly spreading fire.

The extreme weather conditions, including Europe's fifth heatwave this summer, have created a tinderbox environment. Scientists have confirmed that human-caused climate change intensifies weather patterns, leading to faster and longer-lasting wildfires. The EU is coordinating further resource deployment as needed.

Firefighters and farmers have also been using water from local lakes in the fight against the fire.

โ€” Spokesperson for the infrastructure department of the Walloon regionDescribing the efforts to combat the wildfire.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Veฤernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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