Belgium Summer 2026 Heatwave Kills ~3,000; Worst Fire on Record 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 article begins a debrief assessing whether heat plans held or failed and what lessons emerge. This is a post-event review, so the immediate impact is known, but the policy and infrastructure adequacy remains under evaluation.