Firestorm Sweeps Across Europe: Belgium in Flames
As Europe battles devastating wildfires, Croatian police have arrested four people suspected of arson along the Adriatic coast.
As Europe battles devastating wildfires, Croatian police have arrested four people suspected of arson along the Adriatic coast.
Europe continues to grapple with the severe aftermath of wildfires fueled by extreme heat and drought. In Spain, a soldier died on Sunday while fighting a blaze in the Aragon region, while Belgium recorded its largest modern wildfire, which has grown to nearly 3,000 hectares.
Military helicopters and farmers' tractors were assisting firefighters in battling Belgium's largest modern wildfire, burning in a rugged nature reserve near the German border. Due to the growing threat, the border town of Monschau has ordered a partial evacuation.
The fire, whose origin remains unknown, grew from 80 hectares on Friday to nearly 3,000 hectares by Sunday. Temperatures in parts of Belgium reached 37°C on Friday, creating conditions conducive to the fire's spread, according to Euronews.
Two people have died, and hundreds were evacuated from popular beaches when two fires broke out on the Greek island of Salamina near Athens. "Over 570 people were evacuated on coast guard patrol boats and other vessels," a coast guard spokesman told AFP.
According to the fire service, 36 fires broke out across the country in the last 24 hours. Greece has been hit by several major fires since late July, aided by strong winds.
Hundreds of firefighters in Portugal battled a series of fires, including one near the village of Dine close to the Spanish border, where five firefighters sustained minor injuries when their vehicle caught fire. Civil protection agency ANEPC also reported fires near Boticas and Chaves.
In Spain, a soldier died on Sunday while helping extinguish a large fire in Aragon, where authorities deployed the largest firefighting arsenal in the region's history. French reinforcements were expected to help contain the fire, which also threatened a thousand-year-old monastery.
The fire that consumed 1,700 hectares in the Landes department in southwestern France has been stabilized after three days of ground and air operations. Local official Gilles Clavreul said the situation is developing "favorably" as temperatures have dropped, with an expected high of 28°C in the afternoon compared to 40°C when the fire broke out on Thursday.
The first group of 650 evacuees was allowed to return to their homes on Sunday evening, the local prefect confirmed.
Croatian police have arrested four people suspected of setting some of the wildfires that have affected parts of the Adriatic coast in recent days. The four suspects are accused of starting fires that consumed pine forests and olive groves as Croatia battles a wave of fires fueled by drought and heat.
