High Fens fire contained as Belgium confronts gaps in aerial firefighting capacity
Walloon authorities said the High Fens wildfire remained under control on 24 August, although local flare-ups, closed roads and a strict exclusion zone kept emergency services deployed.
In 30 seconds
- The fire began near Baelen at about 13:00 on 14 August, according to the Walloon government.
- Belgian Defence reported that nearly 3,000 hectares were affected.
- Between 140 and 160 personnel worked across the site on 23 August.
- The N68, N672 and N676 remained closed in the official 24 August update.
Updated 25 August 2026, 10:30 CEST — Walloon authorities said on Monday, 24 August that firefighters had kept the wildfire near Baelen in the under control, despite local flare-ups overnight. The Walloon government said the fire, which began at about 13:00 on 14 August, no longer posed the advancing front seen during the first days, but emergency operations and access restrictions remained in force.
The latest official assessment said between 140 and 160 firefighters, police officers, personnel, Defence staff, forestry agents and Red Cross logisticians had worked across the site on Sunday. The N68, N672 and N676 remained closed, while police and Department of Nature and Forests officers fined several walkers and cyclists who entered the prohibited perimeter, according to the Walloon government.
Belgian Defence said nearly 3,000 hectares had been affected. It deployed about 40 military firefighters and six Panther vehicles after the governor of requested assistance. Federal Police separately reported that more than 300 officers had participated during the initial response, including drone teams and two helicopters fitted with 700-litre water buckets.
The operation exposed the limits of Belgium’s own heavy aerial firefighting capacity. The Brussels Times, citing Belga, reported that Dutch Chinook helicopters capable of carrying up to 7,000 litres and two Swedish water-bombing aircraft from the EU strategic reserve reinforced Belgium’s smaller police helicopters. German and Norwegian aircraft also supported the response, according to Walloon authorities. Cloud, smoke, shifting winds and marshy terrain repeatedly restricted both flying and ground access, Belgian Defence said.
That international assistance has opened a political debate over whether Belgium should acquire specialised aircraft or continue relying on pooled European capacity. DéFI has asked the federal government to clarify which aircraft were immediately available, what private-sector agreements existed and whether authorities had a shared national inventory of disaster resources. The emergency response itself combined local fire zones, federal services, Defence and the .
Residents evacuated from Sourbrodt, Küchelscheid and Leykaul had all returned home by 19 August, the Walloon government said. Official monitoring found no health-standard breach in drinking water and no worrying carbon-monoxide concentrations, although temporary fine-particle increases accompanied smoke overnight on 22–23 August.
Where this is happening
View on map High Fens →Authorities will now watch for underground hotspots, unstable trees, smoke and exposed wartime munitions. The cause of the fire remains publicly unconfirmed, and the final burned area, ecological damage and cost of the operation have not yet been established.
What to do
If you live in, commute through or plan to visit the High Fens, check official Walloon and police updates before travelling. As of 24 August, the N68, N672 and N676 remained closed, and the exclusion zone and forest-access bans still applied despite the fire being under control. Do not enter restricted woodland or assume routes have reopened because visible fire activity has declined. Tourism businesses and visitors should expect cancellations, detours or limited access until authorities formally lift the restrictions.
Impact
Regional — Road closures and forest-access bans continue across parts of eastern Liège province, affecting residents, commuters, visitors and tourism businesses around the High Fens.
EvidenceWell established · 1 primary source + 4 official documents + 1 independent reporting sourceExplore evidence →Hide evidence ↑
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Voices & reactions
What the main actors are doing
Reported positions, summarised — not direct quotationsSupporters of pooled European capacity
Belgian crisis-management authorities can point to the rapid combination of local rescue zones, police helicopters, Defence vehicles and European aircraft as evidence that shared capacity allows countries facing infrequent extreme fires to obtain specialised equipment when required.
DéFI and preparedness critics
DéFI argues that the fire warrants scrutiny of Belgium’s immediate aerial capacity, agreements with private operators and national overview of available resources. Its questions frame dependence on foreign reinforcement as a preparedness issue requiring answers from federal authorities.
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