LATEST: Europe's battle with wildfires continues

Countries across Europe continued to combat wildfires on Sunday, grappling with soaring temperatures and parched terrain. A particularly devastating blaze in eastern Belgium, the largest to hit the nation in recent memory, has swollen by more than double in just 24 hours, engulfing an area of 3,000 hectares. Over 250 firefighters and emergency workers have been deployed to the High Fens nature reserve, but conditions remain precarious two days after the fire ignited.

Smoke from the inferno has enveloped the border region between Germany and Belgium, prompting German authorities to urge residents in three municipalities of Monschau to evacuate by 10 am on Sunday. Meanwhile, Croatian police have apprehended four individuals suspected of igniting some of the wildfires that have ravaged parts of the Adriatic coastline in recent days.

These fires, fueled by drought and heat, have incinerated pine forests and olive groves. A fire in southwestern France, which has consumed 1,700 hectares since Thursday, is showing signs of improvement, thanks to a drop in temperatures. In northeastern France's Ardennes region, a fire that has scorched around 100 hectares since Saturday is being described as unprecedented in recent departmental history.

Meanwhile, Greek authorities are hopeful that a wildfire on the Aegean island of Skyros will be fully extinguished within 24 hours. In Germany's Eifel region, a major fire that forced the evacuation of 1,800 people from the Hürtgenwald town has shown signs of improvement, with residents able to return to their homes as the situation around the Gey district has eased.

Approximately 1,600 emergency personnel are still on site. France is dispatching 100 firefighters, 16 fire engines, and a helicopter to aid efforts in Aragon, Spain, where a wildfire has raged for a seventh day, affecting more than 16,000 hectares. In a precautionary measure, authorities have sent an emergency SMS alert urging hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts to remain in urban areas due to the proximity of the fire to the Peña Oroel mountain.

Around 1,000 people from 20 villages remain evacuated in the region as weather forecasts predict some relief in the form of light rain and cooler temperatures.