High Fens wildfire destroys thousands of hectares in Belgium

High Fens wildfire Belgium negligent arson peatland fire

A massive wildfire in the High Fens (Hautes Fagnes) nature reserve in Belgium has destroyed between 3,000 and 3,366 hectares of land, marking one of the largest natural disasters in recent Belgian history.

The Belgian prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into potential negligent arson. Preliminary findings suggest the fire may have been caused by the use of agricultural machinery. EU Crisis Commissioner Hadja Lahbib visited the site and stated that the fire was “100 percent of human origin,” likely resulting from unintentional human behavior.

While the fire is considered under control in western areas, emergency services continue to battle smoldering embers in the northern and eastern sections near the German border. Due to the high peat content in the soil, experts warn that the fire could continue to smolder underground for weeks. The Belgian government previously activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to assist in the firefighting efforts.

Entities

Belgian Prosecutor's Office · Bernard Quintin · Ecolo · European Union · Gilles Vanden Burre · Hadja Lahbib · Hautes Fagnes · High Fens

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] The Belgian government activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism due to the fire. www.zeit.de
[○ 1 SOURCE] Due to high peat content in the soil, experts warn that fire may continue to smolder underground for weeks. 21bis.be
[● 2 SOURCES] EU Crisis Commissioner Hadja Lahbib stated the fire was 100 percent of human origin, likely due to unintentional behavior. www.zeit.de · www.tagesschau.de
[○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 3,366 hectares of land were destroyed by the fire. 1001infos.net
[● 6 SOURCES] Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have been caused by the use of agricultural machinery. www.zeit.de · www.halternerzeitung.de · www.onetz.de · www.tagesschau.de · www.n-tv.de · +1 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The Belgian prosecutor's office is investigating the fire as potential negligent arson. www.zeit.de · www.halternerzeitung.de · www.onetz.de · www.tagesschau.de · www.n-tv.de · +1 more