Belgium seeks foreign help as forest fire rapidly expands
A large forest fire has been burning in Belgium for three days, with the affected area exceeding three thousand hectares after doubling in the last 24 hours. Foreign crews are now assisting through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
Firefighters in Belgium have been battling a large forest fire for three days, and the blaze continues to spread rapidly. According to the Walloon regional government, the area affected by the flames has now surpassed three thousand hectares, doubling in size within just the last 24 hours.
International assistance activated
The scale of the fire has proven too large for local forces to handle alone. As a result, authorities in Brussels have requested help from other countries by activating the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism, a tool designed to coordinate mutual assistance among member states during major disasters. Thanks to this mechanism, foreign firefighting teams are now joining Belgian crews in the effort.
It has not yet been specified which countries have sent resources or how long the firefighting operation might continue, but the situation is being described as serious given how quickly the flames have spread in recent hours.
