Firefighters aim to surround Belgium's biggest century-old wildfire amid harsh weather

The wildfire raging through Belgium's High Fens nature reserve has expanded to roughly 3,000 ha, making it the country's largest blaze in a century. Firefighters, working around the clock, are attempting to create a continuous perimeter around the fire, with regional government spokesperson Nicolas Yernaux indicating that the eastern and northern lines are within a kilometre of joining. A stubborn front near the German border continues to pose a risk, and residents of the border town Monschau have been ordered to evacuate because of smoke hazards.

International water-bombing helicopters from Norway, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands have been sent, but persistent low clouds and rain have repeatedly grounded them, leaving the ground crews to contend with the peat-bog terrain. A thick yellowish plume has traveled as far as eastern France, triggering an air-pollution alert, and several Belgian hamlets have been temporarily evacuated. King Philippe visited the site on August 17, and interior minister Bernard Quintin warned that even after containment, the area may require weeks of soaking to prevent reignition.