EU sends aircraft as Belgium evacuates villagers from wildfire

EU helicopters and water‑bombing aircraft were dispatched to Belgium late Saturday as a record wildfire scorched more than 2,700 hectares of forest in the province of Liège, forcing hundreds of villagers to evacuate. The blaze, which has been described as the country’s worst in decades, has already destroyed dozens of hectares of woodland and threatened nearby homes, schools and a historic abbey. Firefighters from the Belgian Civil Protection, joined by crews from France and the Netherlands, are working around the clock to bring the fire under control.

The fire’s rapid spread is linked to an unprecedented heatwave that has gripped much of Western Europe. Average temperatures in the Ardennes reached 38 °C (100 °F) early in the day, while rainfall has been scarce for weeks. The combination of high heat, low humidity and strong winds has left forests tinder‑dry, a pattern that climate scientists say is becoming more common as global temperatures rise. Belgium’s forest area is about 10 % of its land, and the country has seen a 30 % increase in wildfire incidents over the last decade, prompting the government to strengthen its fire‑fighting infrastructure.

At the heart of the crisis is the village of Wanze, where the fire first broke out near a network of logging roads. Local authorities issued evacuation orders for about 1,200 residents, and a temporary shelter was set up in a nearby school. EU support has come through the Civil Protection Mechanism, which allows member states to call for assistance during large emergencies. In addition to the Belgian fire‑fighters, the EU sent two Eurocopter EC 120s and a CH‑47 Chinook equipped with water tanks, dropping a total of 4,000 cubic metres of water over the last 24 hours. Despite these efforts, the fire has been difficult to contain, partly because of the rugged terrain and the presence of dry pine stands that feed the flames.

The next 48 hours will be critical. Fire crews are planning a coordinated front‑line attack, with ground teams working in tandem with aerial water drops. Belgian authorities have also called for additional volunteers and are monitoring wind shifts that could push the fire towards the town of Stavelot. The incident has prompted a review of forest management practices, including the removal of dead trees and the creation of firebreaks. While the immediate priority is to protect lives and property, the event underscores the growing need for climate‑adapted fire‑management strategies across Europe.