Bredene (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Police have arrested a 41-year-old man for suspicion of arson last weekend in the dunes in Bredene in the Belgian province of West Flanders. This has been released by the West Flanders public prosecutor’s office.
The police have arrested an arson suspect, aged 41, over the weekend’s fires in the dunes in Bredene. The first of the incidents was reported on Saturday morning by hikers who sighted a blaze, and this was put out by the fire brigade in a very short time. A second set of fires was received on Sunday, the suspect was arrested after a forest ranger gave a description. The case has been brought before an investigating judge as an intentional arson on request from the West Flanders public prosecutor’s office, as reported by VRT.
What is the history behind the Bredene dunes arson case?
The Bredene Dunes arson case developed as one of the most vivid cases against the background of increased environmental concerns along Belgium’s North Sea coast. Bredene, with its distinctive and ecologically sensitive dunescapes, has experienced mounting pressure of tourism and of human activity.
A small fire flared up in the Bredene dunes on May 10, 2025, which provoked immediate action and changes in the local events, as the AG Coast Walk registered a record number of participants, 11,000 in total that year. Aided by the fact that the fire was brought under control quickly and had minimal physical consequences, its suspected arson raised red flags concerning the security of protected natural areas.
