Army deploys vehicles as firefighters battle fires in the High Fens and Walloon Brabant

Belgian Defence deployed three vehicles to the High Fens on Saturday, 15 August, to reinforce crews fighting a major vegetation fire, while firefighters also faced a renewed outbreak in Walloon Brabant, according to La DH. The newspaper reported that both operations remained active during its latest update, with no final assessment of the affected land or confirmed cause available at that stage.

The military deployment added vehicles suited to difficult terrain and water support to an operation led by the emergency services, La DH reported. The intervention reflected the challenge of reaching flames across the High Fens’ open heath, woodland and peatland. Authorities had not reported casualties in the information reviewed for this article, but the absence of a final incident report means the full operational and environmental toll remained unknown.

In Walloon Brabant, La DH reported that a fire had restarted after an earlier intervention. The renewed outbreak required firefighters to return to the site, although the report did not establish whether residual heat, wind or another factor caused the flames to reappear. Provincial restrictions already prohibited open fires, charcoal barbecues on public land, campfires and fireworks because of exceptionally dry vegetation, according to regional broadcaster TV Com.

The wider concern is the vulnerability of peat and heath landscapes during prolonged dry conditions. The Walloon Public Service explains that its red-flag system closes sensitive parts of the High Fens when dry vegetation and adverse weather create a high risk of rapid fire spread. Peat can also retain heat below the surface, leaving crews to monitor apparently extinguished ground for renewed hotspots.

The High Fens have experienced destructive fires before. RTL Info records that about 1,200 hectares burned there in April 2011, while another cross-border fire affected roughly 155 hectares in 2023 before the Liège governor ended the provincial emergency phase. Those precedents explain the emphasis on access restrictions, surveillance and cooperation between fire zones, civil-protection services and neighbouring Germany.

Residents and visitors should continue to respect closures and official instructions. Emergency services are expected to inspect the affected ground for hotspots and determine when personnel and equipment can withdraw safely. Investigators have not yet publicly established the causes of either fire, and verified damage estimates remain the principal information still awaited.