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Firefighters push to encircle Belgium's largest wildfire in a century
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Disasters & Emergencies

Firefighters push to encircle Belgium's largest wildfire in a century

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Firefighters are working to encircle Belgium's largest wildfire in a century, which has burned 3,000 hectares in the High Fens nature reserve.
  • Despite wind and rain hampering air support, firefighters have contained parts of the blaze, but a section near the German border remains a concern.
  • The wildfire, fueled by a historically hot summer, could take weeks to fully extinguish, with aerial support repeatedly grounded by weather.

Firefighters launched a critical operation Tuesday to encircle Belgium's largest wildfire in a century, battling challenging winds and rain that hampered aerial support over the High Fens nature reserve. The blaze has consumed 3,000 hectares (7,500 acres) of peatlands and pine trees, growing significantly over the weekend.

We are trying to definitively encircle the fire today.

— Nicolas YernauxRegional government spokesperson Nicolas Yernaux told AFP about the firefighters' objective.

Regional government spokesperson Nicolas Yernaux stated that firefighters aimed to "definitively encircle the fire today," confirming that some areas were "under control and contained." However, a section near the German border remains a concern, prompting evacuations in the German town of Monschau due to smoke.

under control and contained.

— Nicolas YernauxRegional government spokesperson Nicolas Yernaux confirmed the status of parts of the fire.

Despite the deployment of water-bombing aircraft from several European countries, operations have been repeatedly grounded by low cloud and rain. Yernaux noted that windows of opportunity for aerial support might be limited. The fire has produced a thick smoke plume affecting air quality as far as eastern France.

We're talking about one or two kilometers, and we're on the verge of achieving it.

— Nicolas YernauxNicolas Yernaux described the progress on linking fire fronts, despite difficult conditions.

Europe has experienced a summer of devastating wildfires, with Belgium's High Fens blaze echoing a similar event in 1911. Interior minister Bernard Quintin warned that fully extinguishing the fire could take weeks, even after it is brought under control. The terrain of the fens, with its bogs and boardwalks, makes ground operations difficult, increasing reliance on aerial assistance.

several weeks

— Bernard QuintinBelgium's interior minister Bernard Quintin spoke about the potential duration of firefighting operations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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