**EU Deploys Aircraft to Combat Record Wildfire in Belgium**
The European Union has mobilized significant resources to assist Belgium in combating a record wildfire that has been raging in the eastern part of the country. In response to a request for emergency reinforcements from Belgian authorities, the EU sent three helicopters and two water bomber aircraft to help contain the blaze, as confirmed by the bloc’s crisis commissioner on Saturday.
The wildfire, which has been burning since Friday, is located in the High Fens, Belgium's largest nature reserve. By early Saturday afternoon, the fire had consumed approximately 1,600 hectares of land, making it the largest wildfire recorded in Belgium's history. This surpasses the previous record set in 2011, when a fire burned nearly 1,400 hectares, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System.
Local firefighters, farmers, and military personnel have been actively engaged in efforts to control the fire, but the scale of the blaze has prompted concerns about safety and the potential need for evacuations. Authorities have advised residents in the village of Sourbrodt to prepare for possible evacuation, and a children's summer camp in the vicinity has already been evacuated, as noted by Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken in a post on social media platform X.
The wildfire is part of a broader pattern of extreme weather that has affected Belgium and other European countries this summer, with the region experiencing its fifth heatwave of the season. Scientists have indicated that climate change, driven by human activities, has exacerbated the conditions that lead to the rapid spread and prolonged duration of wildfires.
In response to the situation, the EU coordinates the deployment of additional resources from member states when a country requests emergency assistance. The aircraft dispatched to Belgium are from the Czech Republic, Sweden, and the Netherlands, as stated by EU Crisis Commissioner Hadja Lahbib.
As the situation develops, local authorities continue to monitor the fire's progress and assess the need for further evacuations or assistance. The response from the EU highlights the collaborative efforts among member states to address the growing challenges posed by climate-related disasters.