Belgium records record number of wildfires in 2026

Belgium has logged 117 wildfires in the first seven months of 2026, exceeding the 115 fires recorded for the entire year of 2025 and nearly double the 2010‑2025 average of 62 per year, according to data released by Ghent University. The surge is concentrated in Flanders, where more than 60% of the incidents occurred; Limburg province accounts for just over one‑fifth of the total, followed by Namur, West Flanders and Antwerp.

The fires have burned around 31 hectares of nature reserves – roughly the size of 60 football fields – and over 95% are attributed to human activity such as discarded cigarettes, barbecues or spark‑producing machinery. Researchers link the rising frequency to hotter, drier conditions caused by climate change, warning that Belgium is no longer immune to the increased wildfire risk experienced elsewhere in Europe.