Belgium Battles Largest Wildfire in Its History

Belgium is battling the largest wildfire in its history after a blaze that broke out on Friday in the High Fens nature reserve in the country's east burned nearly 3,000 hectares within just three days.

The fire has already surpassed Belgium's previous wildfire record, set in 2011, when around 1,400 hectares were destroyed. The current blaze has burned more than twice that area, making it the largest wildfire ever recorded in the country.

Firefighters from across Belgium, supported by the military and local farmers, are working to contain the flames. Additional assistance has also arrived from neighboring Germany and Luxembourg as the wildfire continues to move toward the German border.

Following the outbreak on Friday, the Belgian government deployed all personnel from the national disaster response agency to support firefighting operations. The Belgian Armed Forces and local volunteers later joined the effort to help contain the blaze.

Despite nearly four days of continuous operations, authorities have yet to bring the fire under control.

On Sunday, Stéphanie Ernoux, spokesperson for the regional administration of Wallonia, said dry weather conditions were driving the wildfire steadily toward the German frontier, prompting heightened precautionary measures.

Belgian Fire Brigade Captain Karim Bourfa told Reuters that the scale of the disaster was unprecedented for the country.

"I never imagined Belgium would experience a wildfire of this magnitude. Now we are facing exactly that," Bourfa said.

He warned that such disasters could become more frequent in the future and stressed the need for stronger preparedness.

"I believe we will see these kinds of disasters more often. That is why we must be fully prepared to respond to them," he added.