A firefighter during operations against a wildfire at the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) nature reserve near Baelen, on August 18, 2026. [AFP]
Firefighters were locked in a potentially decisive push Tuesday to encircle Belgium's largest wildfire in a century, despite rainclouds hampering air support operations over the High Fens nature reserve.
The blaze charring the expanse of peatland, pine trees and hiking trails grew over the weekend to half the size of Manhattan -- 3,000 hectares (7,500 acres) -- with hundreds of firefighters working night and day to wrestle it under control.
Much of the fire has now been contained but a hard-to-access front closest to the German border remains a concern, with gusty easterly winds bringing an added challenge.
"This day will likely be decisive if firefighters succeed in their strategy of encircling the fire," said crisis cell spokesman Tony Hosmans.
"If that happens, the fire will be completely surrounded, and we can hope to stop its advance," he said.
On-site operations have been complicated by the fens' terrain -- a patchwork of heath, peat bogs and raised wooden boardwalks where heavy vehicles risk sinking into the ground, and firefighters struggle to tackle the fire at close range.