{
  "id": 1652167,
  "title": "Naturschutzgebiet: Waldbrand im Hohen Venn bleibt „unberechenbar“",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/naturschutzgebiet-waldbrand-im-hohen-venn-bleibt-unberechenbar",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-18T06:06:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/naturschutzgebiet-waldbrand-im-hohen-venn-bleibt-unberechenbar/100247903.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "The battle against devastating wildfires in the Belgian nature reserve Hohes Venn continues, with German rescue teams operating from Monschau. The fire department's focus has been on weather conditions, particularly strong southwest winds forecasted by Philipp Krüger, the fire department's incident leader. German Weather Service predicts more rain in Monschau on Tuesday. The Belgian interior minister, Bernard Quintin, admitted that favorable weather slowed the spread of the blaze on Monday but emphasized that the fire remains unpredictable. Even if controlled, the area might need to be submerged to prevent reignition, and cleanup efforts could take weeks. The fire line was reported to be about 2.3 kilometers from the German border, with 240 German firefighters, including fire, technical aid, rescue services, and police, involved. Firefighter spokesperson Tobias Schell stated that night shifts would be necessary to maintain control. This is one of the largest fires in Belgian history, nearing the German border on Sunday evening, forcing about 30 residents in Monschau-Kalterherberg to evacuate for safety. No further evacuations are planned, according to the fire department. Karl-Heinz Banse, president of the German Fire Brigade Association, expressed skepticism about banning entry into forests during high fire risk. While theoretically possible, he stated, it is practically unenforceable due to the nature of forests and the lack of control mechanisms. He called for more prevention efforts, urging people to be more aware of the dangers of certain behaviors in the forest through news, schools, or social media. This could include campfires, illegal grilling, or discarded cigarettes, which can spark large fires. He also advocated for changes in fire brigade training to focus more on combating wildfires.",
  "summary": "Der Kampf gegen den Flächenbrand im belgischen Naturschutzgebiet dauert an. Auch deutsche Einsatzkräfte sind beteiligt. Erneut könnte das Wetter mit Regen helfen.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Handelsblatt",
        "title": "Wildfires: Fire in the High Venn - Evacuation ordered near Monschau",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/waldbrande-brand-im-hohen-venn-evakuierung-bei-monschau-angeordnet",
        "published": "2026-08-16T20:52:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}