European crews help Belgium contain its largest recorded wildfire
Belgian and European crews have contained the High Fens wildfire after it burned about 3,000 hectares, but localised flare-ups, smoke and access restrictions remain.
The fire damaged one of Belgium’s most important natural landscapes, disrupted nearby communities and demonstrated that a country with limited experience of very large wildfires may need immediate access to pooled European aircraft. It also tests whether Belgium’s divided crisis, environmental and civil-protection responsibilities are suited to a changing risk profile.
Belgian and European emergency crews have contained the wildfire that began in the on 14 August after it affected about 3,000 hectares, although firefighters were still extinguishing localised flare-ups over the weekend. The Liège provincial crisis authorities said smoke accumulated again early on Sunday, 23 August, when weak winds trapped it over parts of the burned area; measurements outside the perimeter found no dangerous carbon-monoxide levels and the reported air-quality index returned to “good” after sunrise.
The fire is therefore controlled, not finished. Peat can smoulder below the surface and reignite, leaving crews with a long surveillance operation across difficult, waterlogged terrain. The Walloon administration continues to prohibit public access to forests and nature reserves in the , and forestry districts, both for visitor safety and to keep routes clear for emergency teams. Residents affected by smoke or odours have been advised to stay indoors temporarily, close windows and switch off mechanical ventilation.
For people in eastern , the immediate questions concern air quality, access and whether changing weather could revive the fire. The wider significance is equally direct: Belgium had to request international aircraft to fight what the European Commission described as the largest wildfire known in the country. That appeal converted an EU crisis-response system often associated with southern Europe into an operation over , close to the German border.
After activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on 15 August, the Commission coordinated two rescEU firefighting aircraft sent from , two helicopters each from the , and , and rapid mapping through the Copernicus Earth-observation programme. Norway participates in the mechanism despite not being an EU member. The foreign aircraft reinforced Belgian firefighters, Civil Protection personnel, police, the Walloon Nature and Forest Department, local farmers supplying water, and the Belgian Defence component.
Belgian Defence said about 40 military firefighters and six Panther vehicles had been deployed at the request of Liège Governor Hervé Jamar. Colonel Jacques-Houssa, the provincial military commander, said the operation was shaped by two constraints: the weather and the terrain. Shifting winds complicated containment, while low cloud could prevent aircraft from operating. Two firefighters were treated earlier in the emergency for carbon-monoxide poisoning linked to gases released by burning peat; provincial authorities reported their condition as stable.
The are not simply a forested recreation area. Their peatlands, heath and wetland habitats support distinctive biodiversity and help regulate water. Damage will vary considerably: a fast surface fire, deep combustion in dried peat and fire in conifer stands do not leave the same ecological legacy. A definitive burned-area assessment, the depth of peat damage and the effects on wildlife have not yet been published. The cause of the fire also remains unknown.
The emergency has exposed two competing political readings. The European Commission presents the deployment as practical European solidarity and evidence that pooled aircraft and cross-border coordination can close national capacity gaps. Federal Climate Minister Jean-Luc Crucke has adopted a preparedness-focused Belgian framing, arguing that climate risk must move into the centre of national security planning. He said the National Crisis Centre should conduct a full evaluation once the emergency ends, including coordination, warnings and operational capacity.
PTB president Raoul Hedebouw has offered a sharper diagnosis, praising firefighters, farmers and volunteers while accusing political leaders of failing to prepare adequately for climate change. Crucke, by contrast, cautioned against deciding in the middle of the emergency what should have been done years earlier, calling instead for an evidence-led review. His office says the federal government added €850,000 in March 2026 to FIRE4BE, a project developing national wildfire data, risk maps, detection and modelling; a pilot spread model was used during this fire.
That debate will continue after the smoke clears. ’s dependence on European aerial reinforcements does not by itself prove that it should maintain a large permanent national fleet: shared rescEU capacity is designed precisely for exceptional events. It does, however, raise harder questions about prevention, specialist equipment, peatland management and whether fragmented Belgian responsibilities can respond quickly as hot, dry periods become more frequent.
Crews will now monitor hotspots, authorities will decide when closed nature areas can reopen, and ecological teams must map the damage before restoration begins. The most important unknowns are the ignition source, the final verified area and depth of burning, and how much of the peatland can recover without intensive intervention.
Impact
Regional — Forests and reserves in the Verviers, Malmedy and Elsenborn forestry districts remained closed. Communities around Sourbrodt, Waimes, Bütgenbach and Eupen experienced evacuations, smoke, access disruption or emergency traffic during the crisis.
Local — Forests and nature reserves in the Verviers, Malmedy and Elsenborn forestry districts remained closed after containment. Residents and visitors around Sourbrodt, Waimes, Bütgenbach and Eupen faced evacuations, smoke, emergency traffic or disrupted access during the crisis. Hotspots and smouldering peat can continue producing smoke after visible flames have subsided, so restrictions may remain in place while crews monitor the terrain. Anyone planning recreation in the affected High Fens area should check current Walloon and Liège provincial instructions before travelling.
International — Belgium’s request activated a coordinated European response involving both EU reserve capacity and bilateral contributions. Sweden deployed two rescEU aircraft, while the Netherlands, Norway and Germany each provided two helicopters. The operation demonstrates how the EU Civil Protection Mechanism can supply specialised aerial resources when a member country’s domestic capacity is insufficient for an unusually large emergency. Its cross-border relevance is reinforced by the High Fens landscape itself, which extends into Germany and forms part of a shared ecological area.
What it means for you
If you live near or plan to visit the High Fens, check updates from the Walloon environmental authorities and the Governor of Liège Province before setting out. Do not enter closed forests or reserves in the Verviers, Malmedy and Elsenborn districts, even though the main fire is controlled. Expect possible smoke, emergency vehicles and changing access arrangements around Sourbrodt, Waimes, Bütgenbach and Eupen while hotspots and peat continue to be monitored. No reopening date is provided in the article, so treat restrictions as active until authorities explicitly lift them.
Opposing perspectives
- European Commission and federal preparedness view
The European Commission calls the multinational deployment “European solidarity in action” and presents pooled aircraft, helicopters and satellite mapping as the appropriate answer when one country faces an exceptional emergency. Federal Climate Minister Jean-Luc Crucke says the lesson should be established through a structured post-crisis review, with climate science integrated more closely into national risk planning.
- Raoul Hedebouw and PTB accountability view
PTB president Raoul Hedebouw praised firefighters, farmers and volunteers but argued that their mobilisation contrasts with political inaction on climate protection and preparedness. This framing puts responsibility and alleged underinvestment at the centre, whereas Crucke warns against reaching conclusions before emergency professionals and the National Crisis Centre have evaluated the evidence.
Who, where and what
Key people, places and terms in this story
Country that recorded the wildfire and requested European civil-protection assistance.
Belgian region containing the affected High Fens area and responsible environmental services.
Province whose authorities coordinated local crisis measures and public information.
Cross-border upland landscape in eastern Belgium where the wildfire burned about 3,000 hectares.
Neighbouring country sharing the High Fens landscape and contributing two firefighting helicopters.
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Cross-border upland landscape in eastern Belgium where the wildfire burned about 3,000 hectares.
Country that recorded the wildfire and requested European civil-protection assistance.
Belgian region containing the affected High Fens area and responsible environmental services.
Neighbouring country sharing the High Fens landscape and contributing two firefighting helicopters.
Province whose authorities coordinated local crisis measures and public information.
Forestry district where forests and reserves remained closed.
Forestry district where forests and reserves remained closed.
Forestry district where forests and reserves remained closed.
Community near the fire affected by evacuation, smoke, disruption or emergency activity.
Commune near the fire affected by evacuation, smoke, disruption or emergency activity.
Community near the fire affected by evacuation, smoke, disruption or emergency activity.
City near the affected area that experienced smoke, disruption or emergency activity.
Country that sent two rescEU firefighting aircraft.
Country that sent two firefighting helicopters.
Country that sent two firefighting helicopters.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceEuropean Commission Representation in BelgiumPrimaryofficial· belgium.representation.ec.europa.eu· 17 August 2026Retrieved 24 August 2026· 46 days ago· Dated
- View sourceEuropean Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operationsofficial· civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu· 17 August 2026Retrieved 24 August 2026· 46 days ago· Dated
- View sourceGovernor of Liège Provinceprimary· gouverneur.provincedeliege.be· 18 August 2026Retrieved 24 August 2026· 45 days ago· Dated
- View sourceBelgian Defenceofficial· mil.be· 19 August 2026Retrieved 24 August 2026· 44 days ago· Dated
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.