Casablanca – Rain gave firefighters some relief on Monday as they continued to battle a huge wildfire in Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve near the German border.
The fire has burned around 3,000 hectares since it started on Friday near Baelen. It is now Belgium’s largest recorded wildfire. The previous record was also in the High Fens, where around 1,400 hectares burned in 2011.
The fire is no longer moving toward Germany, according to Belgian authorities. But it is still burning in parts of the reserve, and firefighting operations are continuing. Residents who were evacuated have not yet been allowed to go home.
Around 500 firefighters from Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg are involved in the response. Farmers and Belgian soldiers are also helping to contain the blaze. Belgium asked for support through the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism, bringing in helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft from other European countries.
The fire came close to the German border over the weekend. On Sunday, the German town of Monschau evacuated people from two streets as fire and smoke approached. Germany is now sending two NH90 helicopters with firefighting water tanks to help Belgian crews.
Rain on Monday brought better conditions for the firefighters. Belgium’s weather service expected between 5 and 9 millimeters of rain in the High Fens, while temperatures were forecast to drop to around 20 degrees Celsius. Temperatures in parts of Belgium had reached about 37 degrees in the days before the fire.
The High Fens wildfire has been particularly difficult to fight because of the area’s dry ground and hard-to-reach terrain. The fire has also reached peat and roots below the surface, making some areas harder to put out.
The blaze started after weeks of dry and hot weather across Belgium. Authorities had already warned of a high risk of wildfires in several parts of the country. The cause of the High Fens fire has not been established.
No deaths or injuries have been reported, while the extent of damage to wildlife remains unclear.
