Firefighters tackle High Fens flare-ups after 3,000 hectares burn in Belgium
Belgian and European emergency services are working to extinguish localized flare-ups in the High Fens peat bogs after a week-long fire burned 3,000 hectares across Wallonia.
Overnight surveillance and smoke conditions
Emergency personnel from Belgian firefighting units and civil protection remained deployed across the High Fens nature reserve through the night between Saturday, 22 August, and Sunday, 23 August. Rescue teams responded to multiple localized flare-ups across the burned landscape in Wallonia, which straddles the border between Belgium and Germany. Calm atmospheric conditions overnight, marked by wind speeds that dropped to near zero, caused thick smoke to stagnate over the spongy terrain. Surveillance and extinguishing operations continued uninterrupted through the night with aerial support from drones operated by the federal police and civil protection services. Emergency management officials from the office of the governor of Liège province confirmed at dawn on Sunday that dense smoke continued to obscure flare-ups along the perimeter.
Tony Hosmans addressed the morning weather conditions and the persistence of smoke around the reserve perimeter.
This caused an accumulation of smoke, clearly perceptible at various locations around the perimeter depending on a slight shifting wind. This smoke should gradually dissipate with sunrise and rising temperatures.
Containment across peat bogs and active sectors
Emergency services declared the perimeter under control on Friday, 21 August 2026, following a week of continuous operations that covered 3,000 hectares of natural parkland. Containment remains vulnerable because the spongy peat bogs conceal subterranean pockets of fire that smolder beneath the surface and release persistent smoke. Provincial authorities in Liège reported on Saturday at 19:00 that the northern sector of the park had experienced high fire activity throughout the day, while crews also countered flare-ups across the eastern sector. Two Norwegian firefighting helicopters conducted targeted water drops over active zones to assist ground personnel. Emergency crews continue to monitor ground temperatures to stop subterranean hot spots from igniting dry surface vegetation.
- Pilots from Spa aerodrome spot the initial fire starting in an agricultural field
- Emergency services bring the 3,000-hectare fire under control after seven days
- Liège provincial authorities report active flare-ups in the northern and eastern sectors
- Drones and ground crews monitor overnight flare-ups and stagnant smoke over peat bogs
Multinational firefighting mobilization
The firefighting operation required a broad multi-agency and multinational response across seven days of operations in eastern Belgium. Belgian professional firefighters worked in coordination with civil protection teams, national military personnel, and local farmers who assisted with tractors and water tankers on agricultural margins. Aerial firefighting resources deployed to the High Fens included specialized aircraft and helicopters provided by Norway, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Authorities ordered preventive evacuations for residents in several surrounding localities, keeping them away from their homes for multiple days until perimeter conditions stabilized.
Investigation into the ignition source
The blaze started on Friday, 14 August 2026, in an agricultural area before sweeping across the nature reserve. Investigators tasked with establishing the precise cause are examining aerial video footage that points to sparks generated beneath a piece of agricultural machinery. Aviation crews operating from the nearby Spa aerodrome provided the earliest emergency alerts during a routine parachuting mission. One pilot flying over the sector spotted the fire at approximately 13:00 on 14 August, while a colleague who took off from Spa at 13:05 also observed the expanding smoke plume and notified emergency dispatchers.
