From Thursday, all of Belgium drops to code green as wildfire risk eases
From Thursday the whole of Belgium moves to code green, the lowest wildfire-risk level, De Standaard reported, as an anxious dry spell eases.
In 30 seconds
- From Thursday, all of Belgium moves to code green, the lowest wildfire-risk level, according to De Standaard.
- The change applies nationwide across all regions, not a single province.
- Emergency services said a nature fire in the Netherlands was being fought "as planned," De Standaard reported.
- Code green reflects reduced weather-driven fire danger but can revert if heat and wind return.
"Code groen" is the lowest level on the wildfire-risk scale used in Belgium to communicate the danger of nature fires in forests, heathland and dunes. The scale reflects weather-driven conditions — temperature, wind and the dryness of vegetation and soil — rather than an active fire. De Standaard reported that Belgium moves to code green nationwide from Thursday, while emergency services in the Netherlands said their operation against a nature fire was proceeding "as planned."
Background
Heathland and forest fires have become a more visible part of the northern-European summer as hotter, drier spells recur. Belgium and the Netherlands share similar sandy-soil nature areas — Flemish and Dutch heaths — that dry out under the same weather systems, and both countries use graduated fire-risk warnings to guide public behaviour and prepare emergency services during summer droughts.
What to do
Anyone planning outdoor activity should still check the current fire-risk level before lighting barbecues or fires and follow local rules in nature reserves, as code green can change with the weather.
Impact
Regional — The change applies across all Belgian regions — Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels — meaning nature reserves, forests and coastal dunes nationwide are classified at the lowest risk level, according to De Standaard.
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- 8 Aug 2026
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