Fire devastates more than half of the High Fens nature reserve

Updated 18 August 2026, 12:00 CEST — A fire that began on Friday, 14 August, has devastated more than half of the High Fens nature reserve in eastern Belgium, RTBF reported on Monday, citing Laurane Winandy, director of the University of Liège’s High Fens scientific station. The full extent of the damage and the cause of the blaze have not been officially established.

RTBF reported that the fire reached rare peatlands and other sensitive habitats. Winandy told the broadcaster that two of the reserve’s three active raised bogs were believed to have been affected. She also warned that peat can continue burning below the surface, leaving hidden hot spots after visible flames have subsided.

The immediate consequences extend beyond scorched vegetation. According to Winandy’s assessment for RTBF, amphibians, reptiles and insects face particularly high mortality because many shelter in or close to the ground. Larger animals have a better chance of escaping, but return to substantially altered habitats. Boardwalks and other visitor infrastructure have also been damaged, RTBF reported.

The High Fens form one of Belgium’s most distinctive protected landscapes, combining heath, forest and waterlogged peat. A Baelen municipal environmental assessment identifies active raised bog as an exceptionally rare Belgian habitat and records two of the reserve’s three active bogs within the municipality’s protected area. That ecological importance makes the fire a national conservation emergency rather than only a local vegetation blaze.

Wallonia’s Nature and Forest Department had already highlighted the reserve’s vulnerability during dry conditions. In April 2026, it imposed red-flag access restrictions when fire danger increased, explaining that dry heath and grassland can ignite and spread rapidly. A 2025 Walloon government briefing identified the April 2011 High Fens fire as the largest then recorded in Wallonia.

Authorities and scientists must now locate any remaining underground heat, map the burned area and determine which habitats can recover naturally. The cause, a final damage estimate, the status of public access and the timetable for ecological restoration remain unconfirmed. Visitors should follow restrictions posted by Walloon authorities and avoid entering closed areas while field operations continue.