Belgium's largest wildfire in recent memory has decided that doubling its size once just wasn't dramatic enough. On Sunday, officials announced that the blaze tearing through Hautes Fagnes, the country's largest nature reserve, had more than doubled in 24 hours, prompting the evacuation of two nearby villages and a veritable armada of firefighting resources.
Hundreds of firefighters are now on day three of battling flames that have scorched from 80 hectares on Friday to 850 hectares on Saturday, and a whopping 3,000 hectares by early Sunday, according to AFP. Because who needs subtlety when you can go from 200 acres to 7,400 in less than 48 hours?
Local farmers, proving that heroes don't always wear capes (or helmets), hauled water tankers towards the park near Belgium's eastern border with Germany. They were backed by water-bombing aircraft and helicopters sent from Sweden and the Netherlands - because when your own backyard is on fire, you call in the neighbors.
Belgian officials have noted that the park's terrain - a delightful mix of bog-like territory, moorland, and forests - has hampered efforts. Apparently, peat bogs and flames are not a match made in heaven. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin did offer a sliver of good news: two fronts heading towards Jalhay and Monschau have been brought under control. But the conditions remain challenging, and authorities are leaning heavily on aerial assistance. No homes have been affected, which is nice, but the heathland is not so lucky.
Nicolas Yernaux, spokesman for the regional authorities in Wallonia, had already declared on Saturday that this was the country's 'largest in recent history.' Firefighters have had to let parts of the heathland burn because, as Yernaux explained, 'the area is very difficult to access.' Translation: the fire is in the one spot you can't reach with a hose.
Rescue teams have been unable to access the area where the fire broke out, leaving the cause unknown. Presumably, it's either arson, a stray cigarette, or Mother Nature's way of saying, 'You should have invested in better fire breaks.'
Belgium is not alone in this fiery saga. Forest fires have also been reported in Croatia, Spain, and Serbia since Friday, after a summer of extreme heat that has turned swathes of Europe into a crispy snack. In Landes, south-western France, a wildfire triggered the evacuation of 650 residents on Saturday. That fire began on Thursday, reignited on Saturday - because why stay out when you can come back for an encore? - and has more than 500 firefighters on the case.
Meanwhile, the EU's climate monitoring service, Copernicus, has confirmed that western Europe just experienced its hottest June-to-July period on record. So, Europe's landscapes are literally burning, and we're setting records for warmth. Coincidence? We'll let the scientists argue, but we've got a suspicion.
So, as Europe roasts, Belgium's nature reserve smolders, and firefighters from three countries team up to battle an inferno in a bog, one thing is clear: climate change isn't just knocking on the door - it's setting the welcome mat on fire.