Wildfires in Belgium force evacuations

This photograph shows trees amid smoke billowing from a scorched area during a wildfire in the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) nature reserve in Jalhay on August 15, 2026. LAURENT CAVENATI / AFP Residents began evacuating from two villages in eastern Belgium on Saturday, August 15, as firefighters, backed by water bombers and helicopters from across Europe, battled one of the biggest wildfires in the country's history. Reinforcements from across the country have been fighting the blaze, which broke out Friday in the High Fens natural park, a vast wood- and heathland popular with hikers near the German border, and quickly expanded. By Saturday afternoon, the fire had scorched at least 16 square kilometers, according to Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the regional authorities in Wallonia. Read more Map of Europe's fires Residents in parts of the villages of Sourbrodt and Buetgenbach were ordered to evacuate at around 4:00 pm, local authorities said in a Facebook post. Others in the area were advised to remain indoors and keep doors and windows closed. A gymnasium in a neighboring municipality was opened to accommodate evacuees. The blaze remains uncontrolled, Yernaux said, calling it the "largest in recent history" for Belgium. "There is a risk that the fire could reach homes, but we are deploying all available resources to protect them," he said. An Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist was escorted into the burn zone with Interior Minister Bernard Quintin, who witnessed a huge expanse of singed vegetation, with thick smoke hanging in the air. "When you see how things looked this morning and how they are now, you can only be shocked," Quintin told AFP. "But at the same time, we're grateful for the work that has been done. You can see the farmers out here driving around and continuing to wet down the area. It's impressive, very impressive." On social media, numerous farmers posted photographs of themselves heading to the fire zone to support emergency crews. Difficult terrain Operations were being made harder by the fens' terrain – a patchwork of heath, peat bogs and raised wooden boardwalks. Firefighters had "pulled back to the edge of the forest and allowed parts of the heathland to burn because the area is very difficult to access," Yernaux said. Belgium swiftly activated the European Union civil protection mechanism, allowing it to request personnel and equipment from across the continent. European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said two Swedish water-bombing aircraft and two helicopters, one from the Czech Republic and one from the Netherlands, were on their way. "The situation is complicated and highly dependent on aerial resources," Yernaux said. Read more Subscribers only Map: The air pollution from wildfires across Europe David Rodolfs, 38, who owns two restaurants in the nearby Waimes area, said the wildfire had forced businesses to evacuate and left residents stunned by the destruction. "It's a catastrophe," he told AFP. According to Rodolfs, some of his colleagues witnessed the fire breaking out on Friday. "There was ash falling onto the tables, and then we asked our customers to leave. No dessert, everyone had to go." Farmers offer help Liege provincial governor Herve Jamar said authorities had been flooded with offers of help – from catering to support on the ground. "We once again want to sincerely thank everyone who is mobilizing and showing their solidarity," Jamar wrote on Facebook, urging people to leave fire department phone lines open to handle emergencies. Read more Subscribers only 'Since 2026, summer has lost all lightness. Something has changed, summer has been stolen from us' Like much of Europe, Belgium has experienced a fresh spell of intense heat in recent days, with temperatures reaching as high as 37°C in parts of the country on Friday. The wildfire is located only a few dozen kilometers from another major blaze in western Germany, which has already forced the evacuation of about 1,800 people, with flames advancing close to the first homes in the town of Hurtgenwald. Le Monde with AFP