Wind changes on Saturday afternoon carried smoke from the forest fire in the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) area of Belgium into Luxembourg, according to meteorologist Jörg Kachelmann. This shift in wind direction is expected to bring smoke over the Grand Duchy for at least two days. Reports on Saturday evening indicated that smoke and even ash had already been detected in Trier and the Wittlich district in Germany.
Authorities emphasise that there is no fire posing an immediate threat to Luxembourg. The wind is simply transporting smoke from a distance, depending on its direction, and it is likely that residents in the north, particularly the Oesling region, will notice the smell first. Nevertheless, there is no direct danger to people in Luxembourg.
The fire itself broke out on Friday in the Hautes Fagnes, a protected cross-border region between Belgium and Germany, near Baelen. So far, more than 1,600 hectares of land have been destroyed, making this one of the worst wildfires in the history of the Belgian nature reserve. Numerous roads in the area have been completely closed off, and authorities are urging people to avoid the region altogether.
For the latest information and updates on wind conditions and air quality in the region, please follow this report.
Luxembourg has deployed eleven firefighters and three water tankers – one each from Frisange, Kehlen, and Larochette – to Belgium to support local crews in battling the blaze. Belgian authorities specifically requested this assistance, and Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden has been in contact with his Belgian counterpart regarding the operation. The Luxembourg teams travelled to the incident site on Saturday.
