High Fens roads reopen as authorities keep fire zone strictly closed

Updated 25 August 2026 — At 10:00 CEST on Tuesday, Walloon authorities reopened the N68, N672 and N676 around the High Fens

Place

High Fens

Protected plateau and nature area affected by the wildfire and continuing public-access ban.

Why it matters

Protected plateau and nature area affected by the wildfire and continuing public-access ban.

About

The High Fens, which were declared a nature reserve in 1957, are an upland area, a plateau region in Liège Province, in the east of Belgium and adjoining parts of northwestern Germany, between the Ardennes and the Eifel highlands. The High Fens are the largest nature reserve or park in Belgium, with an area of 4,501.2 ha ; it lies within the German-Belgian natural park Hohes Venn-Eifel, in the Ardennes.

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Place

Liège province

Province containing the affected area and communities around the fire zone.

Why it matters

Province containing the affected area and communities around the fire zone.

About

Liège is the easternmost province of Wallonia, the primarily French-speaking region of Belgium.

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Drivers can pass through the area, but they cannot stop or park near the fire perimeter and must observe a 50 km/h speed limit, according to the regional authorities. The government said the change also allows businesses whose activity was disrupted by the closures to operate normally again. Road access does not permit motorists, cyclists or walkers to enter adjoining forests, paths or nature reserves.

The Walloon government said the fire began near Baelen at about 13:00 on 14 August and is now under control overall. Operations continue in the eastern and northern sectors, where inaccessible ground and fires smouldering beneath the surface are still producing localised smoke. Firefighters from across Belgium and Germany, the Civil Protection service, the military, police and the Department of Nature and Forests have taken part in the response.

The continuing exclusion order covers affected or restricted forests in the Verviers, Malmedy and Elsenborn districts. Authorities list unstable trees and branches, underground hot spots, smoke exposure and old wartime munitions exposed by the fire among the remaining hazards. In its French-language notice, Wallonia stresses that access to the Fens “reste strictement interdit”. Drones are also banned because low-flying aircraft remain available for observation and water drops.

The reopening marks a practical improvement for residents, commuters and tourism businesses around Jalhay, Baelen, Waimes and the German-speaking municipalities. It does not mark the end of the emergency. The regional government says environmental restoration will take years, including work on peatland rewetting, paths and damaged infrastructure.

Officials have not announced when the reserve itself will reopen, and the cause of the fire remains outside the confirmed information released with Tuesday’s mobility update. Visitors should follow roadside signs and the official access map rather than assume an open road means an open trail. Authorities will continue watching underground fire activity, smoke and water quality before easing the remaining restrictions.