#highfens — Public Fediverse posts

No words.

#highfens #hohesvenn #hautesfagnes #wildfires #belgium

Mixed update in the #highfens this morning, yesterday was stormy with rain falls of 21L/m2, that's more water in a couple hours than in the last 1.5 month. The rain was useful, still not enough to contain the fire.
The storm complicated the situation, a lot of damaged trees fell and are blocking roads, or must be felled for safety. This is now additional danger, work, and delays…
Despite new difficulties the officers are re-assuring about containing the fire.

#wildfires #belgium #hohesvenn

😢

**credit:** Belga

#highfens #wildfires #belgium

The last RTBF video gives a glimpse into the hard reality of the firefighters in the #highfens : https://youtu.be/32JcVArG8ss?si=xu0ETi_Yd03OLrvs

#hautesfagnes #hoogveen #hohesvenn #belgium #wildfires

Some good news in the #highfens :
- The fire is now fully encircled by firefighters, they seem quite relieved after the hard night moving equipments into swamps by foot…
- Aerial support is active today, yesterday's rainy weather and low visibility didn't allow for it.
- Firefighters are now focusing on containing all the flanks, extinguishing the nord/east direction, and monitoring flare-ups.
- Fire has not progressed much, the burned area still represents ~3 hectare.

#belgium #wildfires

According to media reports, undiscocered WW2 bombs have exploded due to the wildfire in the #highfens . That's a #wildfire risk I had never thought about. Luckily no firefighter has been injured so far.
#wildfires #belgium

The fire is currently progressing through swamps, marsh and peat. The orange line I drew represents the river "La Helle", no forestry track properly crosses it. So firefighters are now trying to cut through the marsh on foot, 'building roads' to advance with light vehicles.
The OSM data makes it even more clear how swampy the area is.
Oh and towards the river the elevation easily drops 50-100m depending on how close to the banks.

#wildfires #belgium #highfens #ardennes

Small accidents and injuries are increasing in the #highfens , firefighters are tiring despite being on constant rotations. My brother-in-law just started another shift at 5:30 this morning, and is expecting to be relieved only at 22:30.
In addition the work is turning more and more technical. The firefighters are now "building a road" and clearing woods to access the fire that's 600m away in the marsh near the Helle river to stop it from advancing east.
#highfens #belgium #wildfires

Image from the Sentinel-2 satellite from yesterday, showing the burning wildfire nearby in the High Fens (about 6km from where I live). #wildfire #highfens #hohesvenn

Love how the Luxembourgish farmers decided to show up to help Belgian farmer efforts. Some are on their way from the south of Luxembourg, that's probably a 4h drive in a tractor 😆

#highfens #belgium #wildfires

According to French media Le Monde, two German army helicopters are headed to Belgium. This would bring aerial forces to 8, with 2 existing Dutch helicopters, 2 Belgian helicopters and 2 Swedish planes already in service.

#belgium #highfens #hautefagnes #wildfires

4th day of wildfires in the Belgian #highfens . It’s raining this morning, still the fire has progressed east towards the German town of Monschau, it’s only 300m away from homes now, the FD has flooded the fields to prevent damage to the old town.
#belgium #wildfires

An interesting operational detail about the current #wildfires in #belgium : the region's linguistic makeup is likely a benefit on the ground. Elder generations don't speak English, but almost everyone understands at least two local languages. Being able to converse in French, German, Dutch, Luxembourgish, and a handful of dialects is probably the primary way firefighters are communicating right now, while only the commanders & other senior officers are exchanging in English

#highfens

The fire is mostly active in the north now, and the closest asphalted road N68 to the west is ±4km away from the seat of the fire. With direct forestry tracks to it. Approaching from N67 seems impractical, the river "La Helle" is cutting the plateau at this point and the surroundings turn hilly.

If the firefighers can't pin the fire, it can move further north towards pinewoods in more hilly terrain, in contrast to a very bushy and swampy terrain right now :(

#wildfires #belgium #highfens

Brother-in-law just got called to the #highfens for third day in a row.
He says the NASA imagery is a good indicator for activity but doesn't tell the whole story as the fire spreads underground through the peat and not directly caused/linked by winds.

#wildfires #belgium #hautefagnes

According to NASA imagery the fire isn't progressing much today.
Red = fire active in last 3 hours.
Orange/yellow = 3 - 12+ hours.
White = 24h+ ago.

See for yourself: https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#t:tsd;d:today;@6.132,50.575,11.762z

#wildfires #belgium #highfens #hautefagnes

I have also seen a local concrete entrepreneur show up with 8 concrete pump vehicles, they can shoot water up to 50m and according to him they have their own water source and can help autonomously.
They have worked through 2 night shifts now and have recently moved away from one area to let firefighters take over as complexity increased.
Love this solidarity and ingenuity.

#belgium #wildfires #highfens #hautesfagnes

I am astonished at the Belgian farmers, I have seen videos of dozens of them relentlessly driving up and down fireroads, day and night through unbearable smoke, spraying areas to ensure they stay extinguished, aswell as driving up and down to lakes like Robertville to refill firefighters cisterns so they can stay put.
#highfens #hautefagnes #wildfires #belgium

Six aircrafts are now providing continuous aerial assistance in the #highfens. Sadly ~3000ha have already burned so far :( What’s really sad is that this area is the „core“ of the natural reserve, and therefore the fire can keep moving in any direction.
#belgium #wildfires

Apparently the fire is now moving east towards Ternell. That’s another wooden area towards the German border. Trees there are quite high (from memory) compared to the low bushy area the fire is currently consuming. #highfens #wildfires #belgium

Thoughts to my brother-in-law and his comrades who have been fighting the complex fire in the natural reserve of the high fens for over 48h now. I hope they get it under control.
Current situation looks pretty bad, and is expanding towards Germany: https://firemap.live/?lng=6.06015&lat=50.51370&zoom=10.88

#wildfire #belgium #highfens #hautefagnes #climatewarming #drought

So for decades idiots have planted pine monocultures and drained the high fens to extract peat. Now the soils are dry, the bushes are dry, the trees are dry.

2000ha gone in 2 days. This is insane.

#belgium #highfens #climatewarming #climatechange #wildfires

Wildfire burning nearby in the High Fens. Another wildfire is burning nearby in Hürtgenwald. #wildfire #highfens #hurtgenwald

t's summertime! Hiking time! Beautiful landscape, nice companions!
Amazing 26,000 steps in 6:47 hours at about 26°C
18,5 km, 443 height meters

#hike #summertime #belgium #highfens #hautesfagnes #nature #naturephotograpy #iamtheoriginal #iamoriginal #landscapephotography #wetlands