Wallonia, Belgium imposes fire bans amid soaring heat‑wave risk

A prolonged heat wave is set to raise temperatures in Wallonia above 30 °C, with forecasts of up to 35 °C, strong winds of 30–40 km/h and humidity dropping to 20‑30 % from July 10‑16. The combination of heat, wind and dry air creates a heightened risk of wildfires across all Walloon provinces.

Provincial authorities in Walloon Brabant, Namur, Liège and Luxembourg have issued police orders that forbid open fires in forests, fields, gardens and public barbecue areas until July 19. Barbecues are only allowed at private homes under strict conditions, and all other outdoor fires, including youth campfires and pyrotechnics, are prohibited. The governor of Luxembourg extended the ban to include all fires in forested areas, even in designated barbecue sites.

Firefighters across Belgium warn that the upcoming heat will stretch already strained services that have responded to recent floods, storms and fires. They cite personnel shortages, long work hours and inadequate equipment, and are calling for €1 billion in additional funding, more professional firefighters and a reorganisation of emergency call centres to improve response capacity.