Belgium heatwave kills ~3,000; worst wildfire in history burns 3,300 ha

Belgium's summer 2026 heatwave caused nearly 3,000 deaths and the country's worst wildfire on record, burning over 3,300 hectares in the Hautes Fagnes. The report indicates that construction sites operated at employers' discretion despite extreme heat, highlighting gaps in heat-action plans. This underscores the human and economic toll of climate-driven extreme heat in a temperate region.