Firefighters were engaged in combatting a massive wildfire that ravaged a nature reserve in eastern Belgium and another on a Greek island near Athens. The fires, fueled by hot and dry conditions, posed significant challenges across various parts of Europe.
The wildfire in eastern Belgium consumed approximately 30 square kilometers in the High Fens (Hautes Fagnes), marking one of the most severe wildfires in recent Belgian history. Around 600 residents in the neighboring municipalities of Waimes and Bütgenbach, located in the province of Liège near the German border, were instructed to evacuate as winds shifted, spreading smoke in the area. Authorities also advised tourists to leave, with a nearby gymnasium set up to accommodate evacuees.
Hervé Jamar, the provincial governor of Liège, disclosed that more than 250 emergency personnel were mobilized, including over 100 Belgian and German firefighters, along with police, military officers, and civil protection teams. Firefighting helicopters operated by Belgium’s federal police and the Netherlands contributed to the containment efforts.
On a Greek island, the coast guard reported that an elderly couple tragically lost their lives outside their home on Salamina, an island west of Athens where a fire originated. Over 500 individuals were rescued from the island. The fire occurred during Greece’s peak summer getaway weekend surrounding the Aug. 15 Assumption holiday, attracting many Athenians to nearby islands like Salamina.
In response to the blazes, approximately 192 firefighters, 14 aircraft and helicopters, volunteer crews, and municipal water tankers were deployed. Additionally, coast guard and firefighting vessels were dispatched to the island, preparing for potential sea evacuations from threatened coastal regions. Salamina was under a high wildfire risk warning as the cause of the fires remained unknown.
The wildfire in Belgium has surpassed the 2011 blaze that scorched nearly 14 square kilometers in the same area, previously the country’s largest recorded wildfire. Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the Public Service of Wallonia, highlighted the exacerbated conditions this time due to very dry soil.
René Dahmen, the chief engineer at the Department of Nature and Forests, reported that the fire was still spreading on Sunday in a challenging-to-access area. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin confirmed that the firefighters successfully prevented the fire from advancing toward the west and the German town of Monschau. Local authorities in Germany cautioned that the fire was approximately 1.5 kilometers away from the border.
Belgium invoked the European Union’s civil protection mechanism to receive aid from other nations. Sweden dispatched two water-bombing aircraft, while three helicopters from the Netherlands and the Czech Republic were also mobilized to assist. The fires in the High Fens, a mixture of heathland and peat bogs, were further complicated by weeks of unusually hot and dry weather.
In France, firefighters managed a wildfire in a pine forest in the Landes region without significant flare-ups. A total of 17 square kilometers were estimated to have burned, leading to the evacuation of around 650 individuals. In the United Kingdom, emergency crews tackled 14 wildfires in South Wales with military support, emphasizing the persistent high risk of wildfires despite the easing heat wave.
Germany witnessed firefighters making substantial progress against a wildfire in the Hürtgen Forest, allowing evacuated residents to return home. The situation remained stable, with crews establishing a cleared cordon to prevent the fire’s spread.
