Wildfires: Belgium battles blaze, France's Lecornu jeered
Fires are raging from Belgium to Greece as Europe suffers one of its most severe wildfire seasons to date. The blazes come amid frequent heat waves and drought that studies say are driven by human-induced climate change.
Wildfires continue to rage across several European nations on Monday, following a period of hot and dry weather. As of now, approximately 576,000 hectares of land have been scorched this year, an area twice the size of Luxembourg, marking the continent's worst fire season on record. Last year saw over a million hectares burned, but 2026 could surpass that record, as the fire season still has some time to run.
In Belgium, a massive blaze in the High Fens park, located on the border with Germany, is being combated by 500 firefighters and troops. The fire, which erupted on Friday, has consumed 3,000 hectares and is the country's largest in modern history. Germany has pledged to send two military water-bombing helicopters to aid in the firefight.
Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu faced jeers from residents in the village of Le Porge, located in the western Gironde region. The village suffered devastating losses last month when a wildfire destroyed 183 homes and forced the evacuation of over 220,000 residents and tourists. The fire spread rapidly due to strong winds, trapping an elderly couple who tragically perished near their home.
In Greece, firefighters on the island of Salamina have largely succeeded in extinguishing two fires, although two lives were lost and nearly 500 people had to be evacuated via boat. The island is frequently visited by day-trippers, and the fires broke out near full beaches.
In France's southwestern Landes region, a wildfire that has burned since Thursday has now been controlled. The evacuation of 250 people from the village of Luglon has been lifted. A Spanish soldier has lost his life, and hundreds have been evacuated due to a wildfire in Aragon that threatened a 1,000-year-old monastery. French firefighters have been enlisted to help contain the blaze, which has destroyed 16,600 hectares of land.
Other fires are currently active in Portugal, with hundreds of firefighters battling them. Five firefighters suffered minor injuries when their vehicle caught fire near the village of Dine, near the Spanish border. Across Spain, several fires are raging, including those near the towns of Boticas and Chavez, and in the tourist town of Omis, where 1,000 people were evacuated due to a fire that broke out on Thursday night.
Croatian authorities have arrested four individuals suspected of starting some of the wildfires along the Adriatic coast.
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