Belgium Activates EU Rescue Pact for High Fens Fire

Belgium has activated the European Union civil protection mechanism to obtain international aerial support as firefighters battle a major wildfire in the High Fens nature reserve. Officials said the fire has burned around 3,000 hectares in the protected area near the German border.

The blaze began on Friday and has since grown rapidly. Authorities linked the acceleration to difficult conditions in a landscape dominated by peatland and pine forest, where fire can spread and persist in ways that complicate suppression work.

EU civil protection mechanism brings in international aircraft

Officials said international assets from the Czech Republic Belgium’s decision to trigger the EU civil protection mechanism is intended to reinforce national resources with assistance from partner countries. Officials said international assets from the Czech Republic and Sweden are expected to arrive to strengthen the operational response, particularly through aerial support. The mechanism is designed to coordinate cross-border help when national capacity is under strain, enabling faster mobilization of equipment and specialized teams. In this case, the requested support focuses on improving the ability to slow the fire’s spread across difficult terrain. Ground response and evacuations near the German border More than 250 emergency personnel are currently deployed to contain the wildfire, authorities said. Operations are focused on stopping further expansion and protecting nearby communities as the fire continues to evolve.

European Union

As a precaution, officials have ordered evacuations for residents in two nearby villages. Authorities said there have been no reports of damage to residential property so far, but emphasized that the evacuations reflect the potential for conditions to change quickly.

High Fens peatland conditions keep the situation volatile

The regional government said the situation remains volatile. Ongoing drought and heatwave conditions are complicating efforts to control the blaze, limiting the effectiveness of suppression tactics and increasing the risk of renewed flare-ups.

Officials also pointed to the environmental characteristics of the area as a key challenge. In peatland and pine forest zones, fire behavior can be difficult to predict, and hotspots can be hard to fully extinguish even after visible flames subside.

Largest Belgian wildfire since 1911

Authorities described this as Belgium’s largest wildfire since 1911, underscoring the scale of the incident. The statement places the current event in a historical context and highlights why additional international capacity is being sought.

Officials have not indicated when the fire is expected to be fully contained, and the regional government cautioned that changing weather and ground conditions remain a major unknown in the coming period.