- Rain over eastern Belgium on Monday brought some relief to firefighters battling to contain the country's biggest wildfire on record, which had threatened to reach the German border.
- The wildfire in Belgium's High Fens started on Friday following a heatwave with temperatures hitting 37°C.
- The fire has burned 3,000 hectares, surpassing the 2011 blaze of 1,400 hectares, making it Belgium's biggest on record.
- Prosecutors in Belgium have opened an investigation into the cause of the blaze.
- Across Europe, wildfires have killed over 20 people, forced hundreds of thousands to flee, and burned 576,000 hectares this year.
- The fire has penetrated the nature reserve's metres-deep peat bogs - meaning it could take months to fully extinguish.
- German firefighters were also working to contain a fire front 1.5 km (0.9 miles) away from buildings in the evacuated German village of Ruitzhof, close to the Belgian border.
- Fires have killed more than 20 people, forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes and burned 576,000 hectares across Europe this year.
- In Greece, an elderly couple died as fires swept through the island of Salamina, where 500 people were evacuated by ferry after wind pushed the flames into residential areas.
- Spanish firefighters stabilized a massive wildfire in Andalusia that has burned nearly 40,000 hectares since August 6.
Rain over eastern Belgium has aided firefighters battling the country's largest wildfire on record, which has been raging since Friday in the High Fens nature reserve. Despite the rain, officials warn that the fire remains uncontained and continues to threaten the German border.12
The blaze follows a severe heatwave that saw temperatures soar to 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit), exacerbating the situation. Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the Wallonia region, stated, "This is the biggest ecological disaster in terms of forest fires, that's clear, for Belgium," highlighting the severity of the crisis.
Firefighters, numbering around 500 and supported by reinforcements from Germany, Luxembourg, and the EU's emergency reserve, have made some progress in containing parts of the fire. However, Yernaux cautioned, "We can't say that the fire is contained. It flares up all the time," indicating ongoing challenges.
The wildfire in Belgium is part of a broader trend, as wildfires have ravaged Europe this summer, fueled by intensifying drought and heatwaves. Across the continent, more than 20 lives have been lost, and 576,000 hectares have been scorched, affecting countries from France to Greece. In Greece, for instance, an elderly couple perished as fires swept through Salamina, leading to the evacuation of 500 people by ferry.589
As the situation develops, the focus remains on containing the blaze in Belgium while addressing the wider implications of climate change and its role in the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires across Europe.
“The fire has burned 3,000 hectares, surpassing the 2011 blaze, and has penetrated deep peat bogs, potentially taking months to extinguish. Some 500 firefighters from Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg, plus EU aircraft, are battling the blaze, while prosecutors investigate its cause.”
