Europe Faces Wildfires, Mass Evacuations Amid Heatwave

Across Europe, a heatwave-related spate of wildfires triggered evacuations and firefighting efforts from Belgium to Greece. In Belgium’s High Fens, a massive blaze burned tens of square kilometers, forced about 600 evacuations, and drew helicopters from the Netherlands and Sweden with EU civil protection support. In Germany, authorities issued readiness to evacuate around Monschau as fires burned near the border. On Salamina island near Athens, two large fires killed two people and prompted sea evacuations for hundreds as winds fanned the flames; ferries and other vessels were mobilized. Firefighting across Greece involved hundreds of personnel, boats, and aircraft as authorities sought to prevent spread to populated areas and tourist sites. The events underscore a wider pattern of heat-driven wildfires across Europe, stressing water resources and emergency services from Spain to the Balkans.