Heathland fire in Genk destroys 3 hectares; homes narrowly escape blaze

A wildfire in Genk, Belgium, consumed about 3 hectares of heathland on Saturday, bringing flames dangerously close to residential areas. Firefighters responded quickly, deploying multiple units and receiving backup from a neighboring station, managing to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby houses. The blaze came within 30 meters of homes, with one neighbor reporting their garden was half-burned.

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The fire department immediately deployed with 3 forest fire trucks and an autopump. We received reinforcement from the Hasselt barracks. Upon arrival, the fire had approached to within 30 meters of the houses.

Residents were warned about "after-burns," where smoldering roots and dry soil can reignite if the wind picks up. Some neighbors took it upon themselves to extinguish small flare-ups with buckets of water, following the fire department's advice to alert them immediately if the fires grew larger.

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Their garden was ablaze. Their garden was full of greenery and plants and is certainly half burned.

One resident, Britt, mentioned that her family was working on a carnival float in their garden and decided to clear away flammable wooden materials as a precaution. Despite the close call, she expressed relief that the fire did not reach their backyard, acknowledging that the situation could have been much worse.

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The fire department told us that we should extinguish small fires ourselves as quickly as possible. If those hotspots get bigger, we must notify the fire department immediately.