Firefighters faced a challenging battle against a massive wildfire that has extensively damaged a nature reserve in eastern Belgium. A similar situation unfolded on a Greek island near Athens, claiming two lives on Sunday as severe heat and dryness sparked fires across Europe.
Wildfire in Belgium
The blaze in eastern Belgium devastated around 30 square kilometers (12 square miles) within the High Fens, marking one of the country’s worst wildfires in recent history. Authorities evacuated approximately 600 residents from Waimes and Bütgenbach, two municipalities in Liège province near the German border, as shifting winds spread smoke throughout the region. Tourists were also asked to leave the area while a nearby gymnasium was set up to accommodate evacuees.
Hervé Jamar, the governor of Liège province, reported on Sunday that more than 250 emergency personnel were mobilized. This included over 100 firefighters from Belgium and Germany, along with police, military officers, and civil protection staff. Firefighting helicopters from Belgium and the Netherlands provided additional support.
Fatal Blaze on Greek Island
In Greece, two people died in a wildfire on Salamina island, west of Athens, as reported by Greek firefighters. The bodies were found in the village of Peristeria, where strong winds fueled the rapidly advancing fire. A second fire also erupted in the Selini area. Firefighting and coast guard vessels evacuated about 500 beachgoers from the region.
About 260 firefighters, including 15 ground teams, 10 aircraft, and eight helicopters, responded to the fires. Fire Brigadier General Vasileios Vathrakogiannis stated that near gale-force winds contributed to the fire spreading rapidly towards residential zones within seven minutes.
Belgium’s Record-Breaking Wildfire
The current fire surpasses Belgium’s previous largest wildfire in 2011, which burned nearly 14 square kilometers (5.4 square miles) in the same area, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the Public Service of Wallonia, described the conditions as significantly worse due to very dry soil.
René Dahmen, the chief engineer at the Department of Nature and Forest, mentioned that the fire continued to expand on Sunday in a challenging area to access. The priority was to control the eastern flank of the fire, which was moving toward a municipal forest.
Interior Minister Bernard Quintin noted that firefighters managed to prevent the blaze from spreading westward and toward Monschau, a German town. Local authorities in Germany warned that the fire was less than a mile from the border. Some farmers from Belgium and Germany used tanker trucks to assist in firefighting efforts.
International Support and Firefighting Efforts
Belgium requested help through the European Union’s civil protection mechanism. EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib stated that Sweden provided two water-bombing aircraft, while additional helicopters from the Netherlands and the Czech Republic were deployed. This response followed weeks of intense heat and dryness, complicating the firefighting efforts due to the mix of heathland and peat bogs in the High Fens region.
Wildfires Spread Across Europe
In France, firefighters managed to prevent significant flare-ups overnight in a wildfire burning in a pine forest in the Landes region. Around 650 people evacuated their homes, with the total burned area estimated at 17 square kilometers (6.6 square miles). Earlier in the summer, two other major wildfires burned the extensive pine forests of southwestern France.
In the UK, emergency crews dealt with 14 wildfires in South Wales with military support. The heat wave was abating, but prolonged dryness kept the wildfire risk high. Fires destroyed several homes in the West Midlands during a period when temperatures reached a yearly high of 38.1 C (100.6 F).
Germany’s firefighting efforts in the Hürtgen Forest advanced significantly, allowing around 2,000 evacuated residents of Gey to return home. Officials reported no open flames as crews established a secure perimeter to prevent the fire’s spread.
Additional contributions to this report were made by Associated Press writers in Paris, London, Berlin, and Milan.