Map reveals the scale of the fire that burned 170 hectares in the Hautes Fagnes

Updated 17 August 2026, 16:00 CEST — Emergency services brought the wildfire between Eupen and Raeren in the Hautes Fagnes under provisional control on 31 May 2023, after the blaze had burned about 170 hectares near Belgium’s border with Germany. RTBF reported that firefighters were still extinguishing scattered hot spots and monitoring the site because wind and rising temperatures threatened to reignite them.

The fire began at about 17:30 on Monday, 29 May, according to RTBF. A map published by Le Soir showed the extent of the affected ground around the border area. The mapped perimeter gave residents and walkers a clearer picture of an incident whose scale was difficult to judge from individual roads and access points.

More than 100 Belgian and German firefighters worked across the difficult terrain. RTBF counted 40 Belgian and 70 German firefighters during the overnight operation into Wednesday, alongside Belgian Civil Protection and a federal police helicopter used for water drops. The Brussels Times, citing emergency services and Belga, reported that around 130 firefighters had been mobilised earlier in the response.

Authorities treated the zone between Eupen and Raeren as dangerous and prohibited pedestrian and bicycle access while crews searched for residual heat. Fire commander Olivier Jiust told RTBF at the time that the fire was no longer advancing, but that this did not yet mean every burning pocket had been extinguished.

The immediate toll fell mainly on heath and other surface vegetation. Le Vif, citing the Walloon authorities’ first assessment, reported that the fire had affected about 155 hectares in the confirmed burn zone and was not expected to prove catastrophic for plant life because it had travelled principally across the surface. The commonly reported operational estimate remained more than 170 hectares.

The episode also exposed the Hautes Fagnes’ particular vulnerability. Dry vegetation, wind and waterlogged or unstable ground create a combination in which fire spreads rapidly while vehicles and crews struggle to reach it. The Walloon Environment administration says sensitive parts of the reserve are closed under a red-flag system when wildfire danger becomes elevated.

No casualties were reported in the cited coverage. The precise ignition point and individual responsibility were not publicly established in those reports, although forestry officials attributed the outbreak to human activity because no lightning or storm offered a natural explanation. The next steps were the elimination of remaining hot spots, reopening decisions and a detailed ecological assessment of the burned area.