High Fens wildfire remains out of control as residents leave their homes

Updated: 17 August 2026

A major wildfire remained out of control near Sourbrodt in Liège province on Monday, 17 August, after authorities ordered hundreds of people to leave homes threatened by the flames and smoke. The Associated Press reported that cooler weather and rain had eased conditions for firefighters, but the fire was still advancing towards Belgium’s border with Germany.

The fire began on Friday and had burned an estimated 30 square kilometres by Monday, according to the Associated Press. It moved east after reaching pine forest on Sunday, leaving scorched trees and smouldering ground around eight kilometres from the German border. The precise perimeter and full ecological damage have not yet been established.

About 600 residents in Waimes and Bütgenbach were instructed to evacuate on Saturday as the wind changed and smoke spread, the Associated Press reported. Tourists were also advised to leave, and authorities opened a sports hall for evacuees. Reporting from Het Nieuwsblad described families gathering essential possessions while animals that could not readily be moved remained behind; one resident said the chickens would “stay here, unfortunately.”

Liège provincial governor Hervé Jamar said on Sunday that more than 250 emergency personnel had been deployed. According to the Associated Press, the operation included Belgian and German firefighters, police, military personnel and civil-protection teams. Sweden supplied two water-bombing aircraft, while helicopters from the Netherlands and the Czech Republic joined the response.

King Philippe interrupted his summer holiday to visit the emergency services on Monday, the Associated Press reported. The visit came as crews continued working across peatland, heath and forest, terrain in which fire can persist below the surface after visible flames recede.

The emergency also carries exceptional environmental consequences. The High Fens contains rare peat habitats that store carbon and recover very slowly after deep burning. Wallonia’s environment service has long warned that dry surface vegetation in the reserve can ignite and spread rapidly, while its standing safety advice directs anyone spotting a wildfire to call 112, provide an accurate location and withdraw without taking risks.

Residents must continue following municipal and emergency-service instructions rather than returning independently. The next official assessments are expected to clarify whether the fire perimeter has stabilised, when evacuated households may return and how much of the protected landscape has been damaged.