German Town Advises Residents to Leave Homes as Belgian Wildfire Spreads

Residents in several districts of the German town of Monschau have been urged to temporarily vacate their homes due to potentially hazardous smoke from a wildfire raging in Belgium's High Fens region. The town issued the recommendation early on August 16, 2026, warning of significant smoke pollution and fallout expected from the advancing fire front.

The fire, located just about three kilometers from the German border, poses a direct threat to Monschau, which lies adjacent to the High Fens nature reserve straddling Germany and Belgium. Authorities advised residents in the Plattevenn, Leyloch, and Kalterherberg areas, west of the Messeweg, to leave their homes by 10 a.m. and seek shelter with friends or family. For those unable to find alternative accommodation, the town established a support center from 7 a.m.

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Health risks from the fire smoke cannot be ruled out.

In Belgium, approximately 600 people in two towns were ordered to evacuate their homes as the fire rapidly spread, driven by shifting winds and heavy smoke. The fire has already consumed an estimated 2,700 hectares in Belgium, a vast area equivalent to nearly 3,800 football fields. This contrasts with a fire in Hürtgenwald, Germany, about 20 kilometers away, which affected around 300 hectares, and where residents have since been allowed to return home.

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It is a precautionary measure.