Belgium counts on air support as record wildfire jumps in size

A wildfire burns in the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) nature reserve in Waimes on Aug 15, 2026. (Photo: AFP/Dimitri Korczak) 16 Aug 2026 05:30PM (Updated: 16 Aug 2026 05:35PM) EUPEN, Belgium: Firefighters battling Belgium's largest modern-day wildfire were counting on crucial air support on Sunday (Aug 16) to help tame the blaze in a hard-to-access nature reserve, after it doubled in size over the previous 24 hours.More than 250 firefighters and emergency personnel were mobilised through the night, according to a Sunday morning update from the regional government, which warned conditions in the High Fens park near the German border "remain challenging".From 80ha burned on Friday, the day the fire broke out for reasons still unknown, the area affected jumped to 850 Saturday morning - and by ear