Hainaut extends fire restrictions to 31 August as dry conditions persist

Hainaut Governor Tommy Leclercq has extended the province’s fire-prevention order until 31 August 2026, keeping restrictions in force across the Walloon province because dry vegetation continues to create a significant risk of fires. The decision, reported on 15 August by La Dernière Heure, directly affects residents, farmers, youth groups, event organisers and visitors from Mons and Charleroi to Tournai and the French border.

The extension means that measures already applicable until 17 August will continue through the end of the month. The rules prohibit open fires in forests, fields, meadows, gardens, on slag heaps and beside other vegetation. Wood- and charcoal-fired barbecues are barred on public land, including designated cooking areas, unless a mayor grants an exception following a risk assessment with the competent fire-and-rescue zone. Fireworks and sky lanterns are also prohibited, while restrictions apply to thermal weed burners and the disposal of burning objects or glass near vegetation. These provisions were published by Hainaut municipalities including Tournai and explained by Charleroi’s local police.

For people in Hainaut, this is more than an administrative renewal. Summer gatherings, scout camps, agricultural work and municipal events can all create ignition sources when plants and crop residues are dry. The provincial rules allow tightly controlled cooking fires at youth camps, but only for preparing meals, with an elevated fireplace, adult supervision and extinguishing equipment immediately available. Local authorities and the province’s three emergency zones — Hainaut West, Hainaut Centre and Hainaut East — are responsible for translating the order into practical prevention and enforcement.

The extension follows weeks of concern across Wallonia. On 28 July, the Walloon agriculture administration said vegetation dryness had worsened throughout the region and that several fires had already required emergency responses in fields, scrub and natural areas. It described the fire danger at that stage as high in forests and very high in open environments in the most exposed provinces. The administration also warned that agricultural machinery can ignite dry crops through overheated components, accumulated dust or sparks caused by contact with stones.

That assessment explains the precautionary approach taken by Leclercq. Fire restrictions impose inconvenience and may require organisers to alter events, but the governor’s position is that limiting avoidable ignition sources is justified while the danger remains elevated. Municipal authorities retain a narrower operational perspective: Tournai’s publication of the order notes that a mayor may authorise certain public barbecues after consulting the relevant rescue zone. The two approaches are not contradictory, but they reflect different responsibilities — province-wide prevention on one side and case-specific local risk management on the other.

The broader picture reaches beyond Hainaut without turning this into an EU intervention. The European Environment Agency says climate change is expanding fire-prone areas and lengthening fire seasons across Europe, including in central and northern regions not traditionally associated with severe wildfires. Its institutional framing stresses adaptation, monitoring and clearer ownership of climate risks. Hainaut’s temporary order is a local police measure, not a decision by the European Commission or another Brussels-based EU body, but it illustrates how adaptation increasingly occurs through provincial authorities, municipalities, forestry services and emergency zones.

Wallonia’s own guidance adds an important distinction: rain during summer may moisten the surface without quickly restoring rivers, soils or groundwater because vegetation absorbs water and evapotranspiration remains high. This helps explain why restrictions can remain in place even after isolated showers and why authorities assess vegetation and fire behaviour rather than relying on rainfall alone.

The order is due to expire after 31 August unless Leclercq shortens, extends or replaces it as conditions change. Residents should check provincial and municipal notices before lighting any outdoor fire, using a barbecue on public land or organising fireworks. Anyone who sees a vegetation fire should move to safety and call 112 with the most precise location possible. The central unknown is whether sustained rain will reduce the danger enough for the restrictions to lapse at month’s end.