The South Limburg Fire Brigade helps fight a peat fire in the Highlands in Belgium’s Ardennes region. The fire broke out at around 5:30 pm yesterday, and has spread over an area of ​​more than 170 hectares, which is equivalent to about 250 football fields.

The ANP news agency reported that two water trucks left this morning for the Belgian region between the German border cities of Monschau and Roetgen. The Belgian fire brigade is also assisted by colleagues from Germany.

Limburg firefighters are helping the German fire brigade create a stop line, which is tape that stays wet to prevent the fire from spreading.

By the way, it’s not that the whole area is completely lost, reports HLN. According to the fire service, the entire 50 hectares have been reduced to ashes and that area is still expanding, but it is not the case that the entire 170 hectares have been destroyed.

The peat fire was likely caused by human activity. “There are only two reasons for a forest or peat fire to occur, and they are a lightning strike and human action,” says Rene Dahmen, of the Walloon Department of Nature and Forests (DNF) v. HLN. “We didn’t have a lightning strike, so it can only be caused by human action.” Malicious intent cannot be ruled out.

The fire is under control, but not completely extinguished. According to Belgian media, it is difficult to reach the headquarters of the fire. It also takes longer to collect fire extinguishing water. For this purpose, the emergency services have to go to a place near Eupen, about 5 kilometers away.