The fire began on Friday, August 14, before expanding dramatically during hot and exceptionally dry weather. By Sunday, August 16, the affected area had more than doubled in roughly 24 hours, surpassing Belgium’s previous major wildfire benchmark from 2011, when around 1,400 hectares (3,460 acres) burned.
Around 600 residents were evacuated from communities in Liège province. More than 250 firefighters and emergency personnel from Belgium and Germany have been involved, alongside military personnel, local farmers and other responders.
Belgium also activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft were dispatched to reinforce firefighting operations.
🇧🇪 BELGIQUE : Le pire incendie de l'histoire de la Belgique a doublé depuis hier et a désormais ravagé près de 3000 hectares en province de Liège. pic.twitter.com/F9x16QYgP1
— Infos Françaises (@InfosFrancaises) August 16, 2026
Fire is Approaching the German Border
The fire’s eastward spread raised concerns across the border in Germany, where smoke affected areas around Monschau in North Rhine-Westphalia.
At one point, the fire front was around 1.5 km (0.9 miles) from the German border and approximately 1.8 km (1.1 miles) from the nearest buildings on the German side.
German firefighters prepared defensive measures, including wetting fields to make it harder for flames to spread into vulnerable vegetation.
Conditions became somewhat more encouraging on Sunday, with authorities no longer expecting the fire to reach Monschau under the prevailing conditions.
The Fifth Heatwave Creates Dangerous Fire Conditions
The scale of the fire is closely connected to the weather preceding it.
Belgium has experienced its fifth heatwave of the summer, while prolonged heat and limited rainfall have progressively dried soils, heathland and forest vegetation.
The High Fens also contain extensive peat areas. When sufficiently dry, peat can burn and smolder below the surface, creating persistent hotspots that are particularly difficult to extinguish.
Dry vegetation allows surface fires to spread rapidly, while stronger winds can accelerate flames and carry embers ahead of the main fire front.
🔥Hundreds of villagers were under evacuation orders in eastern Belgium as firefighters battled one of the country's worst-ever wildfires, the latest inferno to hit heatwave & drought-stricken Europe this summer.#Belgium #WildFire @AFP pic.twitter.com/ZSPISOL8hs
— ⚡️🌎 World News 🌐⚡️ (@ferozwala) August 15, 2026
Reinforcements… pic.twitter.com/SG9lugVWup
Firefighters received some meteorological assistance on Sunday as temperatures fell and humidity increased. Higher humidity can reduce fire intensity and slow the drying of vegetation, helping crews strengthen containment lines.
Despite the improving conditions, around 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) have already burned. Authorities now face the difficult task of securing the enormous affected area and preventing remaining hotspots from reigniting if hotter, drier or windier weather returns.
