Belgium's most significant wildfire in a century has been brought under control following a grueling seven-day operation in the boggy terrain of the High Fens nature reserve. The local governor’s office confirmed on Thursday that the blaze is now entirely contained, noting that it should no longer spread unless there is a major shift in weather conditions or other unforeseen developments.
Over the past weekend, the fire expanded rapidly, covering an area half the size of Manhattan and destroying large stretches of pine forest, peatland, and hiking trails. Firefighters faced extremely difficult conditions, including strong winds that battered the region near the German border. During the operation, a mini-tornado even struck a town located outside the park boundaries. While the western side of the fire is now fully contained, crews continue to work on the eastern perimeter to finalize the containment effort.
A multinational aerial force consisting of seven aircraft from Belgium, Germany, Sweden, and Norway has been conducting water drops to target areas where ground temperatures remain dangerously high. Although bad weather had grounded these aerial crews earlier in the week, they aimed to maintain operations until nightfall, at which point civil protection drones would assume the responsibility of monitoring the site for any potential flare-ups. Authorities have cautioned that even with the fire under control, the process of soaking the ground to prevent reignition will likely take weeks or even months.
Approximately 350 firefighters and emergency personnel remain on the scene, supported by a large number of local farmers who have been assisting since the blaze began. While the situation has stabilized, all previous evacuation orders for the border region were lifted as of Wednesday, allowing residents to return to their homes in several Belgian hamlets and a town on the German border. Germany's firefighting contingent is scheduled to begin departing on Thursday, with their roles to be filled by Belgian personnel, including volunteers.
The High Fens terrain, characterized by a complex mix of peat bogs, heath, and raised wooden boardwalks, significantly complicated the firefighting efforts. The cause of the fire, which occurred in an area previously devastated by massive fires during heatwaves in 1911, remains unknown. This event marks the largest wildfire in Belgium since that historic incident, occurring amid a wider European summer defined by extreme heat and drought that has also triggered major blazes in countries including Portugal, Greece, France, and Spain.
Around 350 firefighters and other emergency personnel remain deployed in the effort, as do the many farmers who mobilised in support of the operation since last week.
