{
  "id": 1244404,
  "title": "Belgium counts on air support as record wildfire jumps in size",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/belgium-counts-on-air-support-as-record-wildfire-jumps-in-size-1244404",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-16T09:23:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/08/16/belgium-counts-on-air-support-as-record-wildfire-jumps-in-size"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Belgian firefighters were bracing for crucial aerial support to combat the country's largest modern-day wildfire that had doubled in size over a single day. The High Fens nature reserve near the German border, ravaged by peatlands and pine forests in 1911, saw the blaze expand from 80 hectares to 3,000 hectares. Belgian federal police helicopters and Dutch aircraft were seen repeatedly drawing water from a nearby lake as reinforcements from several European countries were set to arrive under a European Union civil protection mechanism. The challenging terrain of the fens, a mix of heath, peat bogs and raised wooden boardwalks, made firefighting operations particularly complex. Authorities praised local farmers who had made water tankers available for firefighting efforts. Despite no homes being damaged, the thick plume of yellowish smoke prompted the evacuation of residents from two nearby villages. No cause for the fire has been determined yet.",
  "summary": "Authorities say the blaze in a nature reserve near the German border 'remains challenging' as more than 250 emergency personnel are mobilised.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "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 News",
        "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",
        "published": "2026-08-16T02:49:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Bernama",
        "title": "World : Belgium Battles Record Wildfire As Villages Evacuated",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/world-belgium-battles-record-wildfire-as-villages-evacuated",
        "published": "2026-08-16T04:46:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "EU sends aircraft and villagers evacuate as Belgium battles record wildfire",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/eu-sends-aircraft-and-villagers-evacuate-as-belgium-battles-record",
        "published": "2026-08-16T06:03:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Belgium counts on air support as record wildfire jumps in size",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/belgium-counts-on-air-support-as-record-wildfire-jumps-in-size",
        "published": "2026-08-16T09:23:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Belgium counts on air support as record wildfire jumps in size",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/belgium-counts-on-air-support-as-record-wildfire-jumps-in-size-1246270",
        "published": "2026-08-16T09:30:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Belgium battles worst wildfire on record, EU allies come to aid",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/belgium-battles-worst-wildfire-on-record-eu-allies-come-to-aid",
        "published": "2026-08-16T10:09:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "Belgium's biggest wildfire on record nearing Germany",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/belgiums-biggest-wildfire-on-record-nearing-germany",
        "published": "2026-08-16T10:36:22.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}