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Belgium wildfire: High Fens shrouded in smoke as crews battle century’s biggest blaze

Updated On: 18 August, 2026 08:25 PM IST | Divya Nair

Firefighters are making a decisive push to encircle Belgium's largest wildfire in a century, with the blaze covering 3,000 hectares in the High Fens. Low clouds and gusty winds are hampering aerial firefighting efforts as crews work around the clock. PICS/AFP

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A firefighter sprays water with a hose on burnt soil and vegetation during operations against a wildfire at the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) nature reserve near Waimes, eastern Belgium, on Tuesday. PIC/AFP
A firefighter sprays water with a hose on burnt soil and vegetation during operations against a wildfire at the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) nature reserve near Waimes, eastern Belgium, on Tuesday. PIC/AFP
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A firefighter holds a shell he found from World War II as he takes part operations

A firefighter holds a shell he found from World War II as he takes part operations

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Much of the fire has now been contained but a hard-to-access front closest to the German border remains a concern, with gusty easterly winds bringing an added challenge

Much of the fire has now been contained but a hard-to-access front closest to the German border remains a concern, with gusty easterly winds bringing an added challenge

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On-site operations have been complicated by the fens' terrain: a patchwork of heath, peat bogs, and raised wooden boardwalks where heavy vehicles risk sinking into the ground, and firefighters struggle to tackle the fire at close range

On-site operations have been complicated by the fens' terrain: a patchwork of heath, peat bogs, and raised wooden boardwalks where heavy vehicles risk sinking into the ground, and firefighters struggle to tackle the fire at close range

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Teams worked through the night to close the gap and fully surround the fire, coming in from the east and north under very difficult conditions

Teams worked through the night to close the gap and fully surround the fire, coming in from the east and north under very difficult conditions

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Visiting the site on Monday, Belgium's interior minister Bernard Quintin cautioned however it could take "weeks" of soaking and dousing to prevent the fire from reigniting, even once brought under control. Water-bombing aircraft from Norway, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands have deployed on site, but they have been repeatedly grounded by low clouds.

Visiting the site on Monday, Belgium's interior minister Bernard Quintin cautioned however it could take "weeks" of soaking and dousing to prevent the fire from reigniting, even once brought under control. Water-bombing aircraft from Norway, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands have deployed on site, but they have been repeatedly grounded by low clouds.

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