# Climate-Driven Wildfire Surge > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/climate-driven-wildfire-surge > Updated: 2026-08-18T22:35:51.000Z. Sources: 19. Developments: 4. By mid-August 2026, environmental extremes intensified in Belgium, where firefighters encircled a massive wildfire in the High Fens nature reserve that destroyed 3,000 hectares. Officials warned that total extinction could take weeks due to deep-seated burning in peatlands. This coincided with acute water scarcity. Brussels maintained a yellow drought alert, and Wallonia blocked a proposal by Google to use river water from the Sambre for data center cooling to protect limited resources. Globally, Suriname increased fire brigade readiness due to extreme drought, while Indonesia reported 154,000 fire hotspots and the emergence of a submerged village in a dried-out reservoir. ## Claims - The wildfire in the High Fens nature reserve has been encircled by firefighters. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The wildfire has ravaged approximately 3,000 hectares of land. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Brussels authorities have maintained a yellow drought alert level despite forecasted rain. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The Suriname Fire Brigade has increased readiness due to expected extreme drought. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The fire is not currently moving toward the German border. (single source) - Total extinction of the fire may take several weeks due to burning peat. (single source) - The Walloon Minister rejected Google's request to use river water for cooling a data center. (single source) - Indonesia has detected 154,000 fire hotspots this year. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-18: Global wildfires and natural disasters intensify in 2026 Global wildfire activity is surging in 2026, with over 7.2 million acres burned in the US and massive fires reported across Europe and Canada, alongside rising hunger and Ebola outbreaks. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/global-wildfires-and-natural-disasters-intensify-in-2026 ### 2026-08-17: Global climate extremes trigger wildfires and water restrictions Global regions face environmental strain as Belgium battles a historic 3,000-hectare wildfire, Wallonia restricts Google's water use, and Suriname and Indonesia prepare for extreme drought and fires. 12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/wallonia-rejects-googles-request-to-use-river-water-for-data-center-cooling ### 2026-07-29: Global Wildfire History Shows Record-Breaking Fires Fueled by Climate Change Climate‑driven extreme weather has spurred record‑breaking forest fires, from the 1910 U.S. blaze to recent Siberian taiga infernos, with Europe’s EU reporting over 254,000 ha burned by mid‑2026. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/global-wildfire-history-shows-record-breaking-fires-fueled-by-climate-change ### 2026-07-29: Belgium records record number of wildfires in 2026 Belgium logged 117 wildfires in early 2026 – more than the whole of 2025 – with most in Flanders, especially Limburg. Over 95% are human‑caused and climate change is driving the rise. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/belgium-records-record-number-of-wildfires-in-2026 --- Cite as: Climate-Driven Wildfire Surge. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/climate-driven-wildfire-surge