Forest fires in Europe: Belgium faces unprecedented fire as forest fires continue unabated
Europe is going through a new day marked by forest fires, with active outbreaks in different countries and thousands of hectares affected. Belgium is facing one of the largest fires in its recent history, while in Greece two people died and hundreds of residents had to be evacuated.
The situation is also complex in Spain and France, where emergency teams are working to control fires that have already devastated thousands of hectares. The combination of high temperatures, dryness and strong winds makes the tasks of firefighters in several regions difficult. The most important focus is in eastern Belgium, where the flames advanced on the Altas Fagnes nature reserve and have already destroyed more than 27 square kilometers of vegetation. According to local media, this is one of the most serious forest fires recorded in the country in recent years. Some 600 residents of Waimes and Bütgenbach were ordered to evacuate on Saturday after a change in wind direction caused smoke to spread towards populated areas. The authorities also recommended that tourists leave the area. More than 250 members of the emergency services are participating in the operation. Among them there are more than 100 Belgian and German firefighters, as well as police, military and members of Civil Protection. The device also has helicopters used to combat the flames, operated by the Belgian Federal Police and teams from the Netherlands. For the moment, no home was hit by the fire, although the authorities remain on alert because the flames continue near residential sectors. They also asked to avoid unnecessary trips so as not to complicate the work of emergency teams. The fire even generated concern in Germany. In the town of Monschau, located near the border, authorities reported that the flames were about three kilometers away and kept firefighters on alert. Meanwhile, traffic on two main routes, the N68 and the N672, neighboring the affected area, continues to be restricted by what local media consider the worst fire that Belgium has suffered in the last 100 years. Heat and drought complicate the fight against the fire. The fire in Belgium occurred after several weeks with unusually high temperatures and little rain. The Altas Fagnes region combines forests, heaths and peat areas, a terrain that makes it difficult for the teams trying to stop the flames to advance. The country also went through a new heat wave this week. On Friday, some areas of Belgium recorded temperatures close to 37 degrees. The magnitude of the fire has already far exceeded the previous record for that region. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, the 2026 fire left behind the one recorded in 2011, when the flames destroyed almost 14 square kilometers. Two dead from the fires in GreeceThe emergency also hits Greece. Two people were found dead this Sunday on the island of Salamis, a tourist destination located near Athens. Two fires broke out on the island almost at the same time, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate. Emergency teams are working to prevent the flames from reaching inhabited areas. Another fire broke out on Saturday afternoon on the island of Skyros. There around 100 firefighters are trying to control the fire with the support of 11 planes, five helicopters and about 20 vehicles. Spain and France on extreme alert In Spain, one of the most serious outbreaks is in Aragon. The fire began on Monday and has already affected some 16,600 hectares, in addition to causing the evacuation of more than 1,000 people. The authorities deployed an extraordinary operation to try to contain the flames. More than 1,000 firefighters are participating in the tasks, with reinforcements from the Army and other national organizations. The arrival of 100 French firefighters is also expected to join the device. The operation also has between 35 and 40 aircraft destined to fight the fire from the air. In Andalusia, meanwhile, the situation showed a favorable evolution. The regional president, Juanma Moreno, reported that the fire registered in the province of Huelva was stabilized after 36 hours without detecting new outbreaks within the affected perimeter. France also continues to be affected by forest fires. Since Thursday, flames have consumed some 1,700 hectares of pine forest in Les Landes, in the southwest of the country. The advance of the fire led to the evacuation of some 650 people from their homes. However, the authorities indicated that the situation began to improve thanks to the drop in temperatures. The emergency teams maintain the operation to prevent the fire from gaining strength again and continue to monitor the affected areas. While the outbreaks remain active in different parts of the continent, the European authorities maintain the emergency operations and reinforce prevention tasks in the face of the heat and dry conditions that favor the spread of the flames.
