Belgium's Altos Fens wildfire burns 2,700 hectares and forces evacuations
A fast-moving wildfire in Belgium's Altos Fens nature reserve has burned 2,700 hectares and forced evacuations in nearby villages, as firefighters battled the blaze on Saturday. The fire, which began on Friday in eastern Belgium, is being described by local reporting as the largest forest fire in the country's history. Residents, tourists and a children's camp were among those moved out of the area as smoke and shifting winds complicated the response.
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By Saturday afternoon, the burned area had reached 2,700 hectares, according to an update from the governor's office in Liège. Earlier in the day, the fire had covered 1,600 hectares, showing how quickly it spread. The governor's office said the reserve's terrain was making it difficult for emergency crews to fight the flames at close range using standard equipment.
Firefighters from across Belgium were joined by teams from Germany and Luxembourg, along with the Belgian army and local farmers. Belgium's defence minister, Theo Francken, said on social media that a children's holiday camp had been evacuated, and tourists staying in the area were advised to leave. The Liège governor's office also asked residents of several villages to evacuate as a precaution because of changing wind direction and smoke in the region.
The fire comes during the fifth heatwave of the summer affecting Belgium and other European countries this week. The scale of the blaze has raised concern because it is affecting a protected natural area and has required support beyond Belgium's own emergency services. The European Union also mobilised three helicopters and two amphibious firefighting aircraft to help contain the fire, under its system for sharing emergency resources between member states.
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The aircraft sent to Belgium came from the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Netherlands, according to the EU crisis management commissioner, Hadja Lahbib. The response highlights how quickly a local wildfire can become a cross-border emergency when weather conditions are hot and dry. It also underlines the strain on firefighting resources when terrain limits access and winds change direction.
What remains unclear is how long the fire will continue to spread and whether further evacuations will be needed. Authorities have not yet given a final assessment of damage beyond the 2,700-hectare figure reported on Saturday afternoon. The next developments to watch are whether the EU aircraft and additional ground crews can slow the blaze and whether conditions improve as the heatwave continues.
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