Devastated landscapes, hectares of nature reduced to smoke, and firefighters mobilised without respite: the fires that struck the High Fens on 14 August deeply affected Belgium.
Given the scale of the disaster, Belgium activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism on 15 August. The response was swift: two firefighting aircraft from Sweden, six helicopters deployed by the Netherlands, Germany and Norway, as well as specialist teams from the Netherlands, Spain and France, reinforced the fight against the fires. Emergency satellite imagery was also provided to support operations on the ground.
European Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality Hadja Lahbib visited the High Fens alongside Minister-President Adrien Dolimont, before continuing her visit to Monschau in Germany and Gilze-Rijen in the Netherlands. A visit to assess the damage, meet the firefighters and teams deployed on the ground, and also to listen to the people affected by these fires.
As Commissioner Hadja Lahbib recalled: “The devastation in the High Fens is a painful reminder that the risk of wildfires is evolving across Europe. Our firefighters and emergency services are on the front line and working tirelessly to protect the population.”
The High Fens remind us today of a painful reality: no country is safe. Since January, more than 679,000 hectares have already burned across the European Union.
But in the face of such disasters, European solidarity knows no borders. When one country is hit, Europe responds. Together.