High Fens fire leaves visitors navigating closures as tourism businesses count the cost

The wider eastern Belgian tourism region has not shut down. The official Wallonia update said the Eupen and La Gileppe dams had reopened, but stressed that this did not grant access to adjoining woodland. At La Gileppe, the panoramic restaurant, lake circuit, brasserie and accropark resumed activity in stages from 21 and 22 August, while access to the woods and the foot of the dam remained prohibited. Lake Bütgenbach reopened on 21 August. Water-based activities at Lake Robertville, however, remained suspended until further notice.

This patchwork makes advance verification essential. Travellers can consult the interactive restriction map linked from Wallonie.be, mobility information through Inforoutes and the dedicated VISITWallonia fire information page. VISITWallonia can also be reached on 081 84 41 00. In the German-speaking municipalities, the Agence du Tourisme des Cantons de l’Est publishes information in French, German and Dutch through Ostbelgien.eu. Place names may vary by language: Waimes is commonly written Weismes in German, while Bütgenbach is generally rendered Butgenbach in French. Checking both versions can help when searching municipal notices or navigation services.

Guests with bookings should ask their host whether the property itself is accessible, which approach roads are open and whether the planned activities are operating. Ardennes-étape said holidaymakers evacuated from Waimes and Bütgenbach could resume stays after the evacuation order was lifted, but advised customers to keep monitoring conditions. It had earlier evacuated visitors from holiday homes and rearranged some incoming stays rather than treating the entire Ardennes as inaccessible.

The fire struck during the long 15 August weekend, one of the most valuable periods of the summer season. The Walloon government said 34 tourist accommodations were evacuated in parts of the communes of Waimes and Bütgenbach, while other businesses experienced disruption. It is still compiling the number of affected visitors, changes to reservations and the financial losses borne by accommodation providers, restaurants and activity operators.

The scale of the exposure is significant even though reliable loss figures are not yet available. The Brussels Times, citing figures from the office of Walloon Tourism Minister Valérie Lescrenier, reported that the High Fens area recorded 139,913 overnight stays in August 2025, or 9.5% of Wallonia’s total for that month. The cancelled final stage of the RTBF’s Beau Vélo de RAVeL, which had been due to start near the Eupen dam on 22 August, illustrates how safety closures also removed events that normally bring customers to cafés, hotels and local shops.

Tourism operators therefore face two competing needs. Emergency services and nature managers need visitors to stay away from closed ground, leaving room for firefighting and ecological assessment. Local businesses, meanwhile, need the public to understand that an exclusion zone is not the same as the closure of the entire region. Overly broad cancellations could deepen the economic damage in communities whose accommodation and attractions remain safely accessible.

The Walloon and German-speaking Community authorities have begun a coordinated assessment of the sector. Wallonia has opened 081 32 56 11 for tourism professionals and is examining insurance questions, possible compensation mechanisms and whether recognition as a natural disaster may be appropriate. Owners directly affected have been advised to notify their insurers promptly. No compensation entitlement should be assumed before the authorities and insurers complete those assessments.

The High Fens are not an ordinary recreational forest. Their heaths and peatlands store water and carbon and support specialised habitats, but dry peat can also sustain a hidden fire. That physical reality means surveillance may continue long after smoke becomes difficult to see. It also makes reopening a question of soil stability, wildlife disturbance and damaged infrastructure rather than simply whether open flames have disappeared.

The region has long used a red-flag system to close sensitive paths during periods of high fire risk. The SPW imposed such restrictions in April 2026 before lifting them after rainfall on 4 May. The August fire shows why visitors must treat the system and local police orders as enforceable safety measures, not optional hiking advice.

For residents or travellers affected by smoke, the SPW and Agence pour une Vie de Qualité advise checking Wallonair. On the morning of 23 August, official monitoring showed good air quality over 24 hours, although temporary overnight particle increases had occurred. People troubled by smoke or odours were still advised to remain indoors, close windows and switch off mechanical ventilation. Severe coughing, breathlessness, wheezing or chest pain warrants urgent medical attention through 112.

The next milestones will be the reopening of roads and trails, the results of environmental sampling and a quantified assessment of tourism losses. ISSeP expected initial results from additional air analysis from 24 August, while water and ecological monitoring will continue. Until authorities publish a broader reopening, the safest and most useful form of support is to visit businesses confirmed as accessible, respect every barrier and leave the burnt landscape to firefighters, foresters and recovery teams.