High Fens Wildfire: Boardwalk Paths Survive Blaze

Nearly a week after a devastating wildfire broke out in Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve, new photographs show that the iconic boardwalk paths that allow visitors to traverse the sensitive peat bog areas have been largely preserved, even as the surrounding landscape lies blackened. The last Flemish firefighters departed the scene on Friday evening, nearly a week after the fire first erupted on 14 August, according to VRT NWS.

The blaze, which started in the Fagne des Deux-Séries on the territory of the municipality of Baelen in the province of Liège, has consumed approximately 3,000 hectares of the nature reserve—making it the largest wildfire ever recorded in Belgian history. The previous record was set in April 2011, also in the High Fens, when 1,300 hectares were destroyed.

A Week of Battle Against the Flames

The fire spread rapidly after igniting around 14:00 local time on Friday, 14 August, driven by dry conditions and wind gusts that produced flames of more than two meters high in some areas. By the following day, the blaze had already consumed 1,600 hectares, prompting evacuations of approximately 600 people from affected areas including parts of Sourbrodt, Leykaul, Küchelscheid, and Montjoie across the German border.

At the peak of the operation, approximately 350 people were involved in firefighting efforts, including Belgian and German firefighters, police, and civil protection personnel. International assistance arrived through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, with Dutch Chinook helicopters, Swedish water-bombing aircraft, Norwegian helicopters, and German firefighters all contributing to the response. As NRC reported, the fire was described by local mayors as the worst natural fire in Belgian history.

The Peat Fire Challenge

A defining characteristic of this fire was its behavior in the peat bogs that form the unique ecosystem of the High Fens. Peat fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish because the fire can smolder deep underground for weeks or even months. Firefighters had to scrape away the top layer of soil over a two-kilometer stretch to expose underlying combustible materials, and the ground remained extremely hot even after the surface fire was controlled.

The fire was declared under control on Thursday, 20 August, though re-ignitions remain possible. Governor of Liège province Hervé Jamar struck a cautious tone, telling RTL: “The apparent improvement of the situation in no way means the area is accessible again. There remain real dangers, sometimes invisible. The absence of flames, visible smoke or emergency services does not mean the area is safe.”

Boardwalk Paths Survive

Photographs released on Friday show the wooden boardwalk paths—a beloved feature of the reserve that allows hikers to cross the fragile peat bogs without damaging them—largely intact, standing in stark contrast to the charred landscape surrounding them. The preservation of these paths offers a small measure of hope amid the devastation.

Nature managers have also identified “islands of biodiversity”—small zones that escaped the worst of the fire and could serve as crucial sources for the recolonization of burned areas by rare plant and animal species. As VRT NWS reported, forest ecology professor Kris Verheyen of Ghent University noted that these surviving pockets could play a vital role in the area’s recovery.

“One of the things that is difficult to see is how much of the peat has actually burned or been affected,” Verheyen said. The recovery of the raised bog ecosystem could take decades, as living high peat grows only about one millimeter per year under optimal conditions.

Environmental Devastation

The fire has had a devastating impact on one of Belgium’s most unique ecosystems. The High Fens is a raised peat bog that developed over thousands of years, home to rare species including the black grouse, whose last remaining Belgian population—only about 35 individuals—is feared to be nearly wiped out. Of 13 GPS-tagged birds, about half have stopped transmitting since the fire began. However, firefighters did manage to rescue one male black grouse alive from the burned area, as VRT NWS reported.

Jean-Yves Paquet of Natagora highlighted the broader ecological toll: “Of the 49 threatened bird species in Wallonia, 19 occur in the High Fens… Where will they build their nests next year?”

A Record Year for Vegetation Fires

The High Fens fire is part of a troubling pattern. Belgium has already recorded 234 vegetation fires in 2026—more than double the total for all of 2025 and nearly four times the long-term annual average, according to RTBF. Of these, 117 occurred between 29 July and 13 August alone. The fires have disproportionately affected Wallonia compared to historical patterns, with 43% of Belgian vegetation fires in 2026 occurring in Wallonia versus about 20% historically.

The Belgian Climate Risk Analysis Centre (CERAC) had warned in a report the previous year that Belgium was not prepared for the increase in wildfires. The country experienced a severe drought in summer 2026, with much of the country rated as “dry to extremely dry” according to IRM drought indices.

Investigation and Political Debate

The public prosecutor’s office in Liège has opened an investigation into the cause of the fire. A video taken from an aircraft shows the fire starting near a mowing zone, with a spark from agricultural machinery being one hypothesis under investigation, as RTL reported.

The disaster has also sparked significant political debate about Belgium’s preparedness for climate-related emergencies. Opposition parties have criticized the government, while Interior Minister Bernard Quintin defended the response, noting that requesting foreign aid was part of the country’s preparation and resilience strategy.

What’s Next

The area remains closed to the public due to ongoing risks: underground fires still smoldering, weakened trees that could fall, potential carbon monoxide emissions, and possible unexploded munitions from past military use. The fire is expected to require monitoring at least until winter.

As De Wereld Morgen noted, environmental organizations have called for urgent action on nature restoration and climate adaptation. The WWF emphasized that the disaster underscores the need to prioritize the restoration of degraded nature and prepare for the consequences of climate change.

Experts say the recovery of the High Fens will be a long and uncertain process. “This is the moment to thoroughly re-examine the rewetting of the area,” said Professor Verheyen. “That’s also about people and resources. The Walloon service responsible for managing nature areas has been severely affected by budget cuts. Directing more resources to nature restoration is important.”

For now, the focus remains on monitoring the smoldering peat, preventing re-ignitions, and beginning the long process of assessing the full extent of the damage to one of Belgium’s most treasured natural landscapes.