The largest fire in Belgium's history: European emergency mechanism activated
A giant fire in eastern Belgium has doubled in size to 3,000 hectares, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of residents. Simultaneously, an unprecedented wave of fires is raging in France, Spain, Germany, and other European countries. An overview of the fire wave situation.
An intense wave of fires is raging across Europe following extremely dry and hot weather, with Belgium recording the largest fire in the country's history. The fire in a nature reserve in the east of the country doubled its area within just 24 hours and reached an unprecedented scale of about 3,000 hectares.
Following the severe escalation, Belgium activated the European Union's civil protection mechanism and received assistance from helicopters and firefighting aircraft dispatched from Sweden, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. Over 250 firefighters, alongside army forces and teams from Germany and Luxembourg, are battling the fire that is advancing toward the German border, while about 600 residents in the Liège district have been evacuated from their homes.
The situation is also tense and complex in other countries on the continent. In Spain, a giant fire is raging in the Aragon region, which has spread to over 16,600 hectares and threatens a thousand-year-old ancient monastery, while in France, hundreds of firefighters and firefighting aircraft are battling out-of-control giant fires in the Landes region. Simultaneously, in Croatia, four suspects were arrested for arson along the coastline, and in Greece, teams are battling a forest fire on the island of Skyros.
Emergency and firefighting forces across the continent continue to struggle with heatwave conditions and strong winds to contain the spread of the flames. The combination of prolonged drought and dry vegetation continues to challenge international firefighting systems, which are attempting to prevent further disasters in residential areas and historical sites.
