{
  "id": 1181144,
  "title": "Belgium: Hundreds evacuated as firefighters battle largest wildfire on record",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/belgium-hundreds-evacuated-as-firefighters-battle-largest-wildfire-on",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-16T02:49:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DW News",
    "slug": "dw-news",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/belgium-hundreds-evacuated-as-firefighters-battle-largest-wildfire-on-record/a-78386242?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Belgium is facing its most severe wildfire on record, having burned approximately 2,700 hectares in the High Fens nature reserve near the German border. In response, the European Union has deployed three helicopters and two water bombers, while Belgian authorities have ordered around 600 residents to evacuate from areas of Waimes, Sourbrodt, and Buetgenbach due to shifting winds and heavy smoke. Tourists have also been advised to leave the region. A spokesperson for the regional authorities in Wallonia expressed shock at the fire's speed and destruction, warning that homes may be at risk. The blaze has spread rapidly across peatlands and pine forests, hampering firefighting efforts due to difficult terrain. Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin and Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the regional authorities, emphasized the deployment of all available resources to protect homes. Belgium has activated the EU's civil protection mechanism, with assistance from three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft from the Czech Republic, Sweden, and the Netherlands, as well as firefighters from Germany and Luxembourg. The extreme heat wave in Belgium this week, with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit), has raised concerns about the likelihood of such wildfires spreading faster and burning longer. European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib called the wildfire the latest sign of the climate upheaval affecting the continent, highlighting that the wildfire season started early and reached northern latitudes never seen before. The fire is located just over the border from another major blaze in western Germany, which forced over 2,000 residents to evacuate their homes.",
  "summary": "A rapidly spreading wildfire in the High Fens nature reserve near Belgium's border with Germany has scorched around 2,700 hectares and forced hundreds of people to evacuate.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Villagers evacuate as Belgium battles record wildfire",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/villagers-evacuate-as-belgium-battles-record-wildfire",
        "published": "2026-08-16T00:59:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "DW English (Top Stories)",
        "title": "Belgium: Hundreds evacuated as firefighters battle largest wildfire on record",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/belgium-hundreds-evacuated-as-firefighters-battle-largest-wildfire-on-1182926",
        "published": "2026-08-16T02:49:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}