The fire in Belgium was felt in Luxembourg

One of the largest forest fires in its history is continuing in the Fagnes Nature Park in Belgium. Since Friday, the fire has destroyed around 3,000 hectares of forest. Due to the rapid spread of the flames, which have come within 300 metres of the national border, the authorities in the German town of Monschau have been forced to order the immediate evacuation of one of its districts. A temporary accommodation centre has been set up for residents at a local school. Similar measures had previously been taken in the Belgian village of Küchelscheid.

By Monday morning, the spread of the fire towards Germany had been halted. Tony Hosmans, a spokesperson for the crisis centre, noted that favourable wind conditions and the onset of rainfall were helping to contain the flames. According to him, the fire has been contained in the accessible areas, but it has not yet been possible to bring it under complete control. Around 500 rescue workers and 120 pieces of equipment are involved in the clean-up operation. The Liège provincial public prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the causes of the incident.

The fire also affected neighbouring countries. Thick smoke and the smell of burning reached Luxembourg, prompting the High Commission for National Defence to issue an official warning. The authority advised residents not to open windows and to switch off ventilation systems to prevent polluted air from entering their homes. Although no significant risk to public health has been identified, officials warn that airborne particles may cause respiratory irritation in vulnerable groups.

At the same time, a significant deterioration in air quality has been recorded across Luxembourg. The average daily concentration of coarse particulate matter (PM10) in the municipality of Beidweiler reached 107 µg/m³, which is classified as poor. Levels of the finer PM2.5 particles in the same area stood at 98 µg/m³, whilst in the Bonnevoie area they were 48 µg/m³. Despite this, no official air pollution warning has yet been issued in the Grand Duchy.

In neighbouring France, the spread of smoke has also caused public concern. The Prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department reported that the fire service had received more than 200 calls from alarmed residents within a few hours. In light of this, the authorities urged members of the public not to contact the emergency services if they merely smelled smoke or observed smoke without a visible source of fire. In addition, an air pollution alert due to particulate matter was temporarily introduced in the departments of Moselle and Ardennes, but this was lifted by Monday morning.