Belgium High Fens wildfire forces evacuations as blaze spreads

A major wildfire in Belgium's High Fens forced evacuations near the German border. The blaze has exposed mounting heat and smoke risks as crews race to contain it.Stock photo used for illustrationFirefighters in Belgium were battling a massive wildfire in the High Fens on Sunday after the blaze burned more than 27 square kilometres in the country’s largest nature reserve. Media reports described it as one of the worst wildfires in Belgium’s recent history, with nearby residents evacuated as winds shifted and smoke spread through the area.Authorities said about 600 residents in municipalities near the reserve were asked to leave on August 15, while tourists were also advised to move out. A gymnasium was opened to receive evacuees, and officials said the fire was still close to residential areas even though no homes had been affected as of Sunday morning.The evacuations were ordered in Waimes and Butgenbach, in Liege province near the German border. In a statement, Liege provincial Governor Herve Jamar said more than 250 emergency personnel had been deployed, including over 100 Belgian and German firefighters, along with police, military officers and civil protection staff. Firefighting helicopters were also being used in the operation.Officials urged people to stay away from the fire zone, warning that unnecessary traffic could block emergency vehicles and make firefighting more difficult. Heavy smoke continued to hang over the area as crews worked to contain the flames. The fire came after weeks of unusually hot and dry weather. Efforts to bring it under control were made harder by the High Fens’ landscape of heathland and peat bogs.In Germany, authorities in the nearby town of Monschau said overnight that the fire was about 3 kilometres from the border and that firefighters were on alert. Early on Sunday, the town’s website advised people in three outlying districts near the border to leave temporarily because officials could not rule out health risks from smoke. Belgium was also hit by another spell of intense heat this week, with temperatures rising to about 37 degrees Celsius in parts of the country on Friday. As firefighters continued operations in the High Fens, authorities in both Belgium and Germany remained focused on evacuations, smoke risks and stopping the fire from spreading further.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 16, 2026 15:38 IST