Firefighters battle wildfires in Belgium's High Fens and Greek island

Key Points:

• A massive wildfire in Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve burned about 30 square kilometers, prompting evacuations of 600 residents and deployment of over 250 emergency personnel, including firefighters from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.
• In Greece, two people died in a wildfire on the island of Salamina near Athens, where strong winds caused rapid fire spread, leading to evacuations of around 500 beachgoers and deployment of 260 firefighters and multiple aircraft.
• The Belgian wildfire surpassed the country’s previous largest fire in 2011, with dry soil and difficult terrain complicating firefighting efforts; authorities warned the fire was close to the German border, with cross-border firefighting support ongoing.
• European countries, including Sweden, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, sent firefighting aircraft and helicopters to assist Belgium through the EU’s civil protection mechanism amid ongoing hot and dry conditions fueling fires.
• Additional wildfires continue across Europe, including in southwestern France, where 17 square kilometers burned and 650 people were evacuated, and in the UK, where 14 wildfires in South Wales are being fought with military support amid persistent drought conditions.