Fires threaten Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve
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One month after fires began in the High Fens, the association Les Amis de la Fagne (Friends of the Fens) expressed concern for both the burned landscape and the area’s cultural heritage.
The association, founded 90 years ago to protect the unique natural area, has been unable to assess the damage because ongoing flare-ups prevent access to the affected zones. Fires have impacted important peat bogs like the Fagne des Deux-Séries, the Fagne Wallonne, and the Fagne de Cléfaye.
Biologists’ initial reports indicate that in some locations, the fires reached the clay layer beneath the peat, where the peat was only 20 centimeters thick. However, the association president, Jean Collard, cautioned that it’s still too early to draw firm conclusions as the fires continue. Beyond the flora and fauna, Les Amis de la Fagne worry about local landmarks.
The association fears for the Prieur cross, near Baraque Michel, and the Aviators’ cross, which commemorates a plane crash during World War II. The Gehlen cross, a Lorraine-style cross, is also at risk. In 2011, a similar fire spared these crosses, but Collard believes the current fire is more destructive. The group also anticipates a large effort to replant juniper, heather, and cottongrass, plants common to the peat bogs, and welcomes new members to help with the recovery.
