Belgium: Flames that engulfed 3,000 hectares brought under control, but underground fire could last for months

Authorities have announced that the largest fire recorded in Belgium over the past 100 years has been contained by firefighting teams.

The risk of the flames spreading has now been neutralized. However, layers of peat that continue to burn underground could keep the fire alive for weeks or even months. Hundreds of firefighters worked through the night in the marshland of the High Fens nature reserve, near the German-Belgian border, aiming to extinguish the last active section of the fire.

The fire started on Friday, while its cause remains unclear. So far, the flames have engulfed around 3,000 hectares of peatland, pine trees and hiking trails—an area equivalent to half of Manhattan. Although authorities consider the situation under control and rule out the possibility of further spread, new hotspots continue to be detected across the wider area. They are being extinguished by teams on the ground and from the air whenever weather conditions allow.

Firefighting aircraft arriving from Norway, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands were unable to take off because of low clouds. The fire led to the evacuation of residents of the German town of Monschau, as well as those of two Belgian villages. Meanwhile, residents of Sourbrodt have been allowed to return to their homes.

The main focus has been on the so-called “zombie fires.” Peat layers allow flames to continue burning deep underground and suddenly emerge at another point in the terrain. Drones equipped with thermal cameras are being used to locate the invisible hotspots. Authorities say that cooling the area and fully extinguishing the fire could take several months.