Credit: CGDIS
On Monday 17 August 2026, the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) announced that eleven volunteer firefighters had returned to Luxembourg after a 36-hour deployment helping Belgian emergency services tackle the wildfire in the High Fens.
Upon their arrival, they were welcomed by Steff Schaeler, Chief of Staff at Luxembourg’s Ministry of Home Affairs, and Alain Becker, Director General of Civil Security.
Following a request from the Belgian authorities and an exchange between Luxembourg's Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden and his Belgian counterpart Bernard Quintin, the CGDIS dispatched three all-terrain fire engines and eleven firefighters on Saturday 15 August 2026 to help fight the fire, which has already ravaged 3,000 hectares of vegetation. A partial rotation of CGDIS personnel took place on Sunday 16 August 2026.
Working as part of the operation coordinated by the Belgian authorities, the Luxembourg team tackled various outbreaks of fire and helped prevent the flames from spreading further. The terrain, very high temperatures and strong, shifting winds made their work particularly challenging, noted the CGDIS.
The mission took place in close cooperation with the Belgian emergency services and highlighted the importance of cross-border cooperation between emergency services.
"Neighbours help each other! And in these dramatic circumstances, it was only natural for the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to lend a hand to its Belgian neighbours in fighting the terrible fire ravaging the High Fens. I thank the eleven CGDIS firefighters returning from the mission for contributing to the fight against the fire and for expressing our solidarity in a very concrete way through their commitment, and I am pleased that they have returned safe and sound," said Minister Gloden, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Steff Schaeler, who was present to welcome the firefighters upon their return.
