A fierce wildfire has engulfed roughly a third of the High Fens (Hautes Fagnes) nature reserve in Belgium, creating a smoke cloud visible across the sky.
Firefighters, aided by water‑bombing aircraft and helicopters from Sweden, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, are battling a blaze that has already forced the evacuation of two villages and threatened a third.
Belgian officials say the fire, which ignited on Friday, is the country’s biggest in recent years and could reach nearby homes.
The EU’s civil protection mechanism was triggered, sending international support to supplement local crews as weather and the boggy terrain make containment difficult.
Firefighters have had to allow parts of the heathland to burn to protect more critical zones, according to regional spokesperson Nicolas Yernaux.
Baltic is just one of several European nations battling wildfires this summer, as extreme heat and rising temperatures spark fires across France, Croatia, Spain and Serbia.
