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Malmedy: Belgian authorities say the country's worst wildfire in a century has been brought under control after firefighters encircled the flames in the High Fens Nature Reserve. The fire had burnt approximately 3,000 hectares (7,500 acres) and threatened to move to Germany.
However, officials warned that flare-ups were still possible because the fire had burnt deep into the peatland. Firefighters may require weeks or even months of continuous soaking to keep the fire from rekindling.
The fire started on August 14 in the High Fens nature reserve in eastern Belgium and quickly spread across dry heathland, pine woodland, and peat bogs. It burnt roughly 3,000 hectares, making it Belgium's largest wildfire on record, and prompted the evacuation of approximately 600 people. Hundreds of firemen, troops, farmers, and foreign workers battled the flames, with fluctuating winds and subsurface peat fires complicating the effort.
