Hoge Venen Fire Flares Up in Spots; Fire Chief Reflects with Pride
Nearly ten days after the largest wildfire ever recorded in Belgium broke out in the Hoge Venen nature reserve, the fire continues to flare up in spots, particularly in the north and east of the affected area. Approximately 100 firefighters remain on standby to intervene where needed, as smoldering peat beneath the surface can reignite for weeks to come, according to VRT NWS.
A Historic Blaze
The fire ignited on Friday, August 14, near Fagne des Deux-Series in the municipality of Baelen, Liege province. Within days, it grew from a single hectare to approximately 3,000 hectares — an area larger than 4,600 football fields — making it the largest wildfire in Belgian history. The blaze surpassed the 2011 fire in the same region, which consumed roughly 1,300 hectares, and approached the scale of the historic 1911 fire that burned nearly 3,900 hectares over two months, as VRT NWS reported.
The fire also crossed into Germany, where the Hurtgenwald blaze became the largest in the history of North Rhine-Westphalia. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced jeers from protesters when he visited the affected area after remaining on vacation during the crisis, according to DIE ZEIT.
The Firefighters’ Ordeal
Flemish fire chief coordinator Niels Bauwens reflected on the operation with visible emotion on Radio 1’s “De Ochtend,” describing the extreme conditions his teams endured. “The terrain of the Hoge Venen is full of holes and bumps, so there have been quite a few sprained ankles,” Bauwens said, as reported by VRT NWS. “The smoke was enormous, so the fire brigade sometimes couldn’t see a hand in front of their face.”
Firefighters worked in shifts of at least eight hours in extreme conditions, hauling hundreds of meters of fire hoses through difficult terrain while surrounded by fire and smoke. Two Flemish firefighters were hospitalized with smoke intoxication, as the heavy breathing apparatus used in structural fires is physically impossible to wear during wildfire operations.
“I am enormously proud of all the fire services that were at work,” Bauwens concluded, noting the public support on social media. “Especially for our people who stood there in the mud, rain and smoke for 8 hours, that does a lot of good.”
Evacuations and Recovery
About 600 residents from Sourbrodt and Butgenbach were evacuated during the height of the crisis, along with residents of the German border town of Monschau. All evacuation orders were lifted by Friday, August 21, and remarkably, no homes were lost and there were no fatalities, as HLN reported.
The fire perimeter now measures 27 kilometers, encompassing 3,366 hectares. The investigation into the fire’s cause has not yet begun because the area remains too dangerous for investigators. The public prosecutor’s office in Liege is considering unintentional arson as a possibility, according to RTL Nieuws.
Ecological Devastation
The ecological toll is severe. The Hoge Venen is a unique raised bog ecosystem, one of the wettest areas in Belgium, where peat has accumulated over thousands of years at an average rate of just one millimeter per year. Professor Kris Verheyen of UGent warned that “the rebuilding of that peat can take decades and perhaps even centuries,” as VRT NWS reported.
The fire also threatens rare species, including the black grouse, of which only about 35 individuals existed before the blaze. The King Baudouin Foundation solidarity fund has raised over 73,000 euros for recovery efforts.
Political Debate
The disaster has ignited political debate about Belgium’s preparedness for wildfires. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin defended the response in Parliament, stating that “the fact that we asked for foreign help doesn’t mean our system failed. On the contrary, that’s part of our preparation and our resilience,” as VRT NWS reported.
Opposition parties have called for investigations and lessons learned, with PVDA criticizing the lack of investment in aerial firefighting capacity. The N-VA has called for accelerating the purchase of heavy firefighting helicopters, currently planned for 2033.
What’s Next
With flare-ups expected to continue for weeks as underground peat fires smolder, firefighters remain on alert. Residents near the burn zone have been warned of possible smoke nuisance, and the area remains strictly off-limits to the public. The investigation into the fire’s cause will begin once the terrain is deemed safe, and recovery efforts — both ecological and financial — are only just beginning.