Largest wildfire in Belgian history burns 1,600 hectares of Hoge Venen peatland

Largest wildfire in Belgian history

A wildfire that broke out Friday at 14:00 in the Hoge Venen nature reserve has consumed more than 1,600 hectares of protected peatland, making it the largest nature fire in Belgium's history according to the mayors of Weismes and Jalhay. The fire started at a hard-to-reach location near Fagne des Deux-Séries in the municipality of Baelen and spread rapidly across three fire fronts at speeds of 5 to 10 kilometers per hour. As of Saturday afternoon, the fire remained out of control.

The burned area grew dramatically over 24 hours. What was initially reported as 100 hectares had reached 850 hectares by Saturday morning, according to Liège provincial governor Hervé Jamar. Hours later, the mayors of Weismes and Jalhay confirmed the figure had climbed to 1,600 hectares. NOS, reporting earlier Saturday, put the figure at "certainly 900 hectares."

Peat and wind hamper firefighting

The Hoge Venen, a Natura 2000 protected high plateau in the Belgian Ardennes near the German border, has dry peat in its upper soil layer that is highly flammable after weeks of drought. Fire commander Bert Ceyssens of the Heusden-Zolder fire department explained that peat fires can burn underground for extended periods, complicating suppression efforts. Shifting winds on Saturday further hampered operations.

It is a very, very large fire. The great drought of the past weeks means the fire is still expanding. It is not under control.

Firefighters worked through Friday night to prevent the blaze from crossing the N68 road, but the fire jumped the road Saturday and reached a highly flammable pine forest. The terrain is nearly impassable, with Ceyssens noting that firefighters sink into the peat and must fight the fire on foot or from road positions.

Because of the upper peat layer in the Hoge Venen, the fire can also continue to spread underground.

International and military response

Belgium activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. European Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib announced on X that three helicopters from Czech Republic and Netherlands and two firefighting planes from Sweden were being dispatched. The Belgian Defense Ministry sent three Panther fire trucks, each with a 10,500-liter water capacity and a water jet range of 90 meters. Minister of Defense Theo Francken (N-VA) confirmed the deployment, saying the vehicles would be operational from midday.

Firefighting crews from Belgian Limburg, the German-speaking community of eastern Belgium, and Germany are assisting. Local farmers have joined the effort with tractors and water tankers. Residents of the hamlet of Sourbrodt in Weismes are being prepared for possible evacuation. Karen De Smedt of fire zone Oost-Limburg described the strain on personnel.

The pressure is great. We really can't miss more people and resources at this moment.

Nearby German wildfire

Approximately 35 kilometers away, in the municipality of Hürtgenwald in North Rhine-Westphalia, a separate wildfire has burned 400 hectares of forest, the largest fire ever in that German state. Around 2,000 residents of the village of Gey were evacuated. Firefighting there is complicated by World War II munitions in the area, with multiple explosions heard. Local authorities report progress, though Gey remains evacuated.

Strain on emergency services

The Limburg fire zones have already faced a demanding summer, responding to more than 70 outdoor fire callouts in recent months across both North and East Limburg. Gretel Kerkhofs of fire zone Zuidwest-Limburg noted that fatigue among personnel is increasing. The broader European context is stark: 23 wildfire scientists reported last year that an area nearly twice the size of Luxembourg burns annually in Europe, with wildfire risk projected to double this century.