One of the largest wildfires in Belgium’s history continued to burn uncontrollably on Monday, despite cooler temperatures and rain providing some relief for firefighters. Meanwhile, in Greece, a fire briefly erupted near the main airport on the outskirts of Athens.
Europe is currently experiencing one of its hottest and driest summers on record, with a recent study attributing this extreme weather to climate change.
King Philippe of Belgium interrupted his summer break to visit the emergency services combating the wildfire in the eastern High Fens region, approximately eight kilometers from the German border. The fire, which had moved into a pine forest on Sunday, has scorched an estimated 30 square kilometers in the Liège province, leaving charred trees and smoldering ground. The smell of wood smoke lingered in the misty forest early Monday morning.
Air support from Norway, Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands, along with local police and drones, assisted dozens of firefighters in battling the blaze. The spokesperson for the Wallonia regional public services, Nicolas Yernaux, reported that while the overnight rain helped contain the fire in certain areas, there remained inaccessible spots where the fire continued to spread towards Monschau in Germany.
Overnight rains aided in containing the fire and reducing the risk of reignition, but they had minimal impact on the core of the blaze, according to Yernaux. Veterinarian Hugues Guyvot, involved in animal rescue efforts, expressed concerns about smaller animals like frogs and mice being trapped underground and perishing in the fire, potentially leading to long-term ecological impacts.
Thomas van Sante, the owner of a hotel near the affected area, noted that tourists had evacuated and canceled reservations, emphasizing that the current rainfall was insufficient to fully extinguish the flames. Precautionary evacuation orders remained in place for hundreds of residents.
Greece swiftly tackles fire near major airport
In Greece, fire department investigators surveyed the aftermath of a rapid wildfire on the island of Salamina, which claimed two lives, injured nine individuals, and destroyed multiple homes on Sunday. New wildfires erupted on Monday, with firefighters swiftly containing a blaze in Spata, east of Athens, within half an hour.
Additionally, an 80-year-old man in Kavala was arrested on suspicion of intentionally setting fire to dry vegetation. This arrest was part of a larger crackdown on fire-related crimes in Greece, with 302 arrests made since the beginning of the year, including charges of deliberate arson and negligence.
Authorities in southwestern France announced that a fire in the Landes region, which had forced the evacuation of over 600 residents during a prolonged heatwave, was now under control after four days of firefighting efforts. As temperatures began to decrease, nearly half of the evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes.
