Residents evacuate as Belgium wildfire scorches 1,600 hectares

This photograph shows smoke billowing from a scorched area during a wildfire in the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) nature reserve in Jalhay on Aug 15, 2026. Residents began evacuating from two villages in eastern Belgium on Aug 15, 2026 as firefighters, backed by water bombers and helicopters from across Europe, battled one of the biggest wildfires in the country's history. Reinforcements from across the country were fighting the blaze which broke out on Aug 14, 2026 in the High Fens (Hautes Fagnes) natural park, a vast wood- and heathland popular with hikers near the German border, and quickly expanded. (Photo: Laurent Cavenati/Belga via AFP) 16 Aug 2026 12:38AM (Updated: 16 Aug 2026 12:42AM) BRUSSELS: The European Union deployed three helicopters and two water bomber aircraft to tackle a reco