Firefighters in Belgium have fully surrounded the country's largest wildfire in a century, but the situation on the ground remains complicated due to new flare-ups, authorities announced. The wildfire, which has burned through 3,000 hectares (7,500 acres) of the High Fens nature reserve, has been encircled, preventing its spread towards Germany. However, crews continue to battle several new flare-ups in various parts of the site.
Firefighting Efforts and Challenges
Tony Hosmans, a spokesman for the crisis cell, stated that the fire, which has been raging in the High Fens, is now encircled. The goal today is to bring it under control, possibly with aerial support. The fire, which has burned an area half the size of Manhattan, has been stopped from spreading further thanks to the efforts of hundreds of firefighters working around the clock. However, the terrain, which includes heath, peat bogs, and raised wooden boardwalks, has made on-site operations particularly challenging.
Aerial Support and Weather Conditions
Water-bombing aircraft from Norway, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands have been assisting in the firefighting efforts. However, low clouds have prevented these aircraft from operating on Tuesday. Intermittent rain has helped slow the fire's spread by increasing humidity levels, but the weather has also hampered aerial support since Monday. Europe has been experiencing weeks of devastating wildfires due to dry conditions and an unusually hot summer, with major blazes also occurring in France, Greece, Portugal, and Spain.
The High Fens blaze broke out on Friday for reasons still unknown, in an area that was previously ravaged by massive fires in 1911 during a similar period of heatwaves. The fire has triggered evacuation orders in the German border town of Monschau and two Belgian villages, although residents of the hamlet of Sourbrodt have been allowed to return home. Officials have warned that even once the fire is brought under control, it will take weeks or even months of soaking and dousing to prevent it from reigniting, as the fire is burning underground in the peat.
