Over the past weekend, hundreds of firefighters from Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg battled a devastating wildfire in the High Fens nature park.
While the fire is expected to be under control relatively soon, dampening-down operations are projected to continue for several days. The fire scorched roughly 3,000 hectares of highly flammable peat bogs and forests, which were at risk due to the continued drought. It is considered to be the largest wildfire within the Belgian borders in history. A wildfire in 1911, nicknamed 'Dante's Inferno', raged on the Belgian-Prussian border. In total, the fire is estimated to have destroyed up to 3,900 hectares.
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The fire broke out in the Liege province, near the town of Baelen, and spread through the nature park of the High Fens. Due to the wind changing directions multiple times throughout Saturday, the fire managed to spread rapidly. The remote nature of the fire has made it hard for fire trucks to reach, with local farmers stepping in to supply water.
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As the fire burns near the borders with Germany and Luxembourg, the countries are assisting with fighting the wildfire. The Netherlands have sent two Chinook helicopters, which are able to dump large amounts of water on the flames.
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Combating the fires is further complicated by the soil, as the peat burns partially underground. Peat forms in swamps as water blocks oxygen from dead plants. Instead of rotting, the plants form a fibrous mud, which is highly flammable when dried. Historically, peat was used as a fuel for domestic and industrial fires.
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