Dutch aircraft are fighting Belgium's worst-ever wildfire across the border
Dutch firefighting helicopters and aircraft have been deployed across the border to help contain the largest wildfire in Belgian history, now burning through more than 2,700 hectares of the Hoge Venen.
The Netherlands responded to a Belgian request for international assistance alongside Sweden and other countries. The fire is still not under control and has been spreading at five to ten kilometres per hour. Around 600 people have been evacuated from Sourbrodt and Butgenbach, and a provincial disaster plan is in force on the Belgian side.
For people in the southern Netherlands, the direct effect is smoke. Air quality in Limburg and the southeastern border region is affected well beyond the fire perimeter, and the haze can drift considerably further north depending on wind. People with asthma, COPD or other respiratory conditions should limit time outdoors and keep windows closed while it persists.
Anyone with travel plans through the border area should check before setting out. Several roads around the Hoge Venen and the Eupen and Gileppe reservoirs are closed, and the Belgian authorities have asked the public — including day visitors from the Netherlands — to stay away entirely so that emergency vehicles can move freely.
Sources: VRT NWS, De Standaard, Het Laatste Nieuws.