One of the largest wildfires in Belgium’s history continued to burn uncontrollably on Monday, despite more favorable weather conditions and the efforts of firefighters. At the same time, in Greece, a fire briefly erupted near the main airport on the outskirts of Athens.
The wildfire in Belgium is expected to persist for an extended period underground in peaty soil, occasionally flaring up, as per information provided by a fire ranger.
Europe is currently experiencing one of its hottest and driest summers on record, with climate change being identified as a significant contributing factor, according to a recent study.
King Philippe of Belgium interrupted his summer vacation to visit the emergency services combating the wildfire in the eastern High Fens region, approximately eight kilometers from the German border. The fire, which moved into a pine forest on Sunday, has ravaged an estimated 30 square kilometers in the Liège province, leaving charred trees and smoldering ground in its wake.
Although the fire did not significantly expand, favorable winds notwithstanding, it remained uncontained in areas inaccessible to ground crews, according to an update from the Wallonia region.
Approximately 500 firefighters, assisted by aircraft from Norway, Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as local police drones, were engaged in the firefighting operation following overnight rain brought by a cold front.
Fire crews have been at work trying to beat back blazes across Europe this week, including in parts of Croatia, Greece and Italy. A fire in the coastal Croatian town of Omiš forced people out of their homes, as EU officials noted extreme wildfire conditions will linger across the continent.
Regional officials reported that farmers were assisting in providing water for firefighting efforts. Helicopters dropped large quantities of water over the flames as smoke rose from the forests.
Nicolas Yernaux, the spokesperson for the Wallonia regional public services, stated, “We managed to contain the fire where the firefighters are stationed, but there is still an inaccessible area where the fire is ongoing in the direction of Monschau in Germany.”
While the overnight rains helped control the blaze and reduce the chances of smoldering fires reigniting, they did not have a significant impact on the core of the fire.
A forest ranger in the region informed The Associated Press that the fire