Brussels, August 17, 2026 — The Europe Today: Firefighting teams continued efforts to contain a major wildfire in eastern Belgium on Sunday evening after the blaze burned approximately 3,000 hectares of land in the High Fens nature reserve.
Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said emergency crews were operating under extremely challenging conditions due to relatively strong and shifting winds.
He said the winds were highly unpredictable, changing direction through a full 360 degrees over the course of a single day, making it difficult for firefighters to determine the direction in which the blaze could spread.
Quintin said the fire in the High Fens nature reserve continued moving towards the south-south-east, while the overall direction of its spread remained uncertain.
The minister highlighted the challenging conditions facing emergency teams as they continued operations to contain the wildfire and prevent further damage to the surrounding area.
Meanwhile, Belgian news agency Belga reported that the prosecutor’s office in Liège province had opened an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation closely as firefighting teams work to bring the blaze under control.
