Belgium Requests Help Over Largest Wildfire in Its History, Czechia to Send a Helicopter

Belgium has appealed to the European Union for emergency assistance as one of the largest wildfires in its history rages on. The blaze in the Hoge Venen (Hautes Fagnes) nature reserve in the east of the country has already destroyed more than 1,600 hectares of land and forced the evacuation of several communities. The announcement was made on Saturday by EU Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib.

According to her, the EU will send three helicopters and two aircraft to help fight the fire. One helicopter will come from Czechia, with additional equipment provided by Sweden and the Netherlands. Kristýna Poseкaná, spokeswoman for the Directorate General of the Czech Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed that Belgium had requested assistance and that Czech firefighters had agreed to help. They are now awaiting official clearance and documentation from the Belgian side. "We are on standby," she said.

Fire Rages for a Fourth Day

The fire in the Hoge Venen reserve — Belgium's largest nature reserve — has been burning since Friday. Firefighters, soldiers and local farmers are all working to bring it under control. The village of Sourbrodt, home to around 500 residents, is under threat of evacuation, while in the town of Eupen the sky has turned yellow from smoke, with plumes visible from miles away.

Authorities admit the situation remains out of control and largely depends on aerial firefighting efforts. Following a shift in wind direction, the Liège provincial administration has already ordered residents in parts of the villages of Küchelscheid and Leykaul to leave their homes, and tourists in the area have been advised to leave as well. A children's summer camp has already been evacuated.

A Record Level of Damage

According to local media citing Liège Governor Hervé Jamar, the fire had destroyed at least 1,600 hectares of forest by Saturday evening. Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) confirms this makes the current blaze the largest in Belgium's history — surpassing the previous record set in 2011, when around 1,400 hectares burned.

Belgium has swiftly activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which allows member states to request personnel and equipment from across the continent. Due to the risk of the fire spreading, authorities in the German town of Monschau, in North Rhine-Westphalia, have warned residents of several farms near the Belgian border of possible evacuation. Temporary shelters are being prepared for those unable to stay with relatives.

Scientists link the increasing frequency of wildfires to climate change: this week, European countries, including Belgium, experienced their fifth summer heatwave, creating dry and hot conditions that fuel the rapid spread of fire.

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Source: seznamzpravy.cz