Belgium records 234 wildfires in 2026, more than double last year’s total
Belgium registered 234 wildfires between 1 January and 13 August 2026, compared with 115 during all of 2025, according to researchers at Ghent University.
In 30 seconds
- Researchers counted 234 Belgian wildfires between 1 January and 13 August 2026.
- Belgium recorded 115 wildfires during all of 2025; the 2010-2025 annual average was 62.
- The count excluded the subsequent High Fens fire, which affected almost 3,000 hectares.
- Flanders accounted for 57% of incidents and Wallonia for 43%.
Updated 24 August 2026, 14:00 CEST — BRUSSELS — Belgium registered 234 wildfires between 1 January and 13 August 2026, Ghent University researchers reported on 17 August. That is more than double the 115 recorded during all of 2025. The major fire that subsequently swept through the was not included in the count.
The researchers’ figures, reported by , cover uncontrolled fires in forests, heathland, dunes, marshes and other natural environments. Their long-term dataset puts Belgium’s annual average at 62 fires between 2010 and 2025. The latest total is therefore almost four times that benchmark, although researchers are still measuring several burn scars and revising earlier reports.
The geographical pattern has also shifted. According to the Ghent University dataset, Flanders accounted for 57% of the fires and Wallonia for 43%. Wallonia’s historical share was about 20%. remained the most affected province, with 26% of recorded incidents, followed by with 15% and West Flanders and Luxembourg with 12% each.
Those incident numbers do not measure the severity of each fire. The researchers had calculated 53 hectares burned in 2026 before incorporating numerous outstanding measurements or the High Fens disaster. VRT NWS reported on 16 August that the High Fens fire alone had affected almost 3,000 hectares, making it Belgium’s largest recorded wildfire. The contrast shows why fire frequency and burned area require separate interpretation.
Belgium’s Climate Risk Assessment Center, CERAC, said in July that more than 90% of Belgian wildfires are connected to human activity. It also identified higher temperatures, more severe droughts and longer periods of elevated fire danger as conditions driving the risk. The recorded a warmer-than-normal winter in Uccle in 2025-26, with less precipitation and fewer precipitation days than the 1991-2020 averages.
The rise exposes a structural preparedness problem. A 2025 assessment by CERAC and the National Geographic Institute called for better monitoring, faster detection, stronger federal coordination and additional support for emergency services. The federal interior minister later told parliament that the Belgian Wildfire Network was developing common risk analysis, data collection, modelling and firefighter training, while prevention remained primarily a regional responsibility.
Where this is happening
View on map High Fens →Authorities and researchers will now update the national total to include delayed reports, newly measured burn scars and the High Fens fire. The final scale of the 2026 season, the causes of individual incidents and the full ecological damage remain unknown.
What to do
Residents and visitors should treat wildfire warnings and access restrictions in nature areas as operational safety measures, particularly during dry periods. Before visiting heathland, woodland or the High Fens, check current instructions from the relevant local authority or site manager and avoid any activity that could ignite dry vegetation. Anyone comparing the figures should note the reporting cut-off of 13 August 2026: the 234 total is provisional, excludes the subsequent High Fens fire and does not provide a complete burned-area total. Final 2026 figures may therefore be higher.
Impact
Regional — Flanders still recorded the larger share, at 57%, but Wallonia’s 43% was substantially above its historical share of roughly 20%. Limburg accounted for 26% of incidents, while Namur accounted for 15%.
EvidenceWell established · 1 primary source + 4 official documents + 2 independent reporting sourcesExplore evidence →Hide evidence ↑
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Voices & reactions
What the main actors are doing
Reported positions, summarised — not direct quotationsIncident-frequency researchers
Ghent University researchers treat the sharp rise in recorded incidents as evidence that Belgium’s fire season is becoming longer and geographically broader, while stressing that delayed confirmations and incomplete burn-scar measurements keep the 2026 dataset provisional.
Severity-focused risk assessors
CERAC and emergency planners emphasise that incident totals alone do not define national danger. Burned area, fire intensity, simultaneous outbreaks, proximity to homes and the capacity of rescue zones determine the operational consequences.
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